Wizarding for Dummies
by Foolish Misery
Summary: SPOILERS FOR BOOK 5! After his fifth term at Hogwarts, Harry begins to learn more of his past, and what he is becoming. A staff, a bite from a clown doll, and new powers. I have a little trouble with plots...kindof like Matrix Revolution. Has been edited!
1. A Brief Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any other books for that matter. This fanfiction was made strictly for your entertainment, and I would not appreciate flames, or insults in my reviews. I do support constructive criticism, and as long as it is CONSTRUCTIVE, I wouldn't be angered by it. Keep these thoughts in mind, and enjoy my story!

-~*~-

Harry Potter sat under a large willow tree, in the backyard of Number Four, Privet Drive, while lazily picking on a stray hem from his aging shirt. Although it had been rather hot lately, it did not compare to the drought they had last year. There had been several thunderstorms, rainy days and even hailstorms lately, as though trying to make up for the lack of water nature had put Privet Drive through the year before. Petunia was currently at a Flea Market on the other side of town, leaving Harry alone with Vernon. (Not an arrangement that either were particularly fond of.)

Dudley was currently out with his friends for the night, smoking a cigarette or beating up little kids, as usual, and wanting to stay as far away from Harry as possible. Dudley still blamed Harry for the events that had happened last summer, when dementors had attacked Little Whining. Whenever Harry walked past him, Dudley would squeal remarkably like a pig and wobble away, matching his very porky-like appearance. He still fell for the fake curses Harry enjoyed mumbling as well.

"It's not magic, Dudley, it's a curse," Harry would say.

"Same thing," Dudley had grunted.

"Oh, no…" Harry said in a voice like Trelawny's, "A curse and magic are two different things, Dudders. You see, first you'll get all sweaty…"

Then Dudley would nervously glance down at his palms, and Harry would laugh like a maniac.

Usually when Vernon had people over, such as Aunt Marge, he would now send Harry over to Mrs. Figg's. Mrs. Figg had suggested that Harry looked like he had a miserable time, so that Harry would be allowed to come back—as the entire time he was there, she'd make cakes or invite Lupin over to have tea, and let Harry watch cartoons on TV. Mundugus Fletcher usually camped out there while doing what he thought was a good job of monitoring Harry. 

Lately there had been many power surges, making lights flicker on and off continuously. Dudley later screamed at Petunia about missing all three of his favorite television shows when an extremely long power outage had occurred. He nearly broke every decorative glass object on display above the mantle-piece when he raged and stormed angrily up the stairs to sulk in his room. Harry briefly wondered if the power outages had anything to do with magic, but decided he was being paranoid. In fact, the power outages had been from hailstorms that had slightly damaged power-lines.

As Vernon bellowed at him to come inside, interrupting his train of thoughts Harry sighed in an annoyed fashion, slowly pushed himself of the ground, and calmly strode into the abnormally clean living room, to which he saw a very angry Uncle Vernon standing a good distance away from the door, and glaring obnoxiously at Harry.

"What do _you _want?" He asked irritably. 

"Don't you take that tone with me, boy. It appears that one of your freakish friends has come over. What in the bloody blazes are they doing near my house? Have you sent them that letter every three days as you were told to?" Vernon asked, continuing to glare. 

Harry was a wizard, fresh from his fifth year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Vernon hated 'his kind.' A few of Harry's friends had told Vernon to be nicer to Harry or they would curse him to oblivion the previous year.

"Don't worry, I've sent them every letter I was supposed to." Harry said monotonically, as if he were telling Vernon this everyday. (He was.)

"Good. That really ratty one—" Harry frowned. That was really rude and extremely uncalled for to call him ratty. "—Is standing outside our house. He claims it's _urgent_. Now I want to know what he's doing here and how soon he can leave." Harry clenched his teeth, holding back an inappropriate insult, and went to open the door. Harry saw a familiar wizard with gray etched through his light brown hair and wearing tattered wizard robes standing on the porch.

"Lupin!" Exclaimed Harry as he shut the door behind him and walked towards the werewolf to embrace him.

"Just came to check in," said Lupin.

Harry felt as though Lupin was the last father figure he had left. Dumbledore was more of a…grandfather figure for Harry.

He had also felt that Lupin was the only living being that could tell how Harry felt, considering Lupin was Sirius's best friend. Harry has had many tantalizing dreams involving Sirius, and the veil that he fell behind. Sirius was Harry's godfather and his own father's best friend. It was only the prior year that Harry's torturing dreams involved Cedric, but Sirius's death couldn't have stung Harry more than anything.

 "I was told to tell you that you're coming to Hogwarts in a few days. Dumbledore says that you can sleep there for the remainder of the summer holidays. Hermione isn't sure whether she can stay there or not, but Ron think he might be able to. Dumbledore also has a few surprises for you." Said Lupin.

"What—" Started Harry, wondering what Lupin had in store for him at Hogwarts.

"I'm not saying anything," Lupin smiled. "But undoubtedly, you'd be happy with the results. Now don't be mad with me that I didn't tell you because he wanted it to be a surprise as well. So blow up at Dumbledore if you're mad, not at me," Said Lupin, his grin widening. Harry nodded, unsure of what to say, and wondering curiously what 'surprises' awaited him at Hogwarts.

"Oh! Before I forget," added Lupin as he groped for something in his pocket. He pulled out what seemed to be a miniature broomstick, and when he proceeded to tap it with his wand, it grew into a fully sized shiny broom with the word 'Firebolt' engraved into the handle. "Dumbledore told me to give this back to you," Said Lupin.

"Great!" Exclaimed Harry, as he grabbed his Firebolt. Then as he touched it, a fresh wave of sadness overwhelmed him. It was Sirius who had given Harry this broom. And Harry's own stupidity got Sirius killed.

Upon seeing Harry's downcast face, Lupin grabbed his shoulder.

"Harry, Sirius would want you to be happy, not miserable." Said Lupin.

"I-I know, but it's my fault h-he's . . . gone. If I had just—"

"Don't say 'if,' that word is dangerous. If I had just killed Kreacher, if Sirius weren't in the Order, if Voldemort were allowed to stay at Hogwarts over the summer, if Dumbledore really were all-knowing . . . The fact of the matter is, is that we all have made mistakes. You can't avoid them, and there was nothing you could've done. I've known Sirius for a long time Harry, and he would have hated it if people pitied or grieved over him."

"I guess you're right…"

"Harry, I was wondering if I could…kind of pick up where Sirius left off. I can't legally be your guardian unless I sign a million papers, and the Dursley's sign a million papers, and I don't think they'd be willing. Would you mind if I could be your guardian…minus the legal papers?"

"I wouldn't mind." Harry smiled. "Just, don't you dare die on me, or I'll kill you."

"Agreed." Lupin shook Harry's hand. "Seeing as how Vernon _loves _wizards coming down his fireplace, and so lovingly blocked it, we're going to Hogwarts by portkey. I'll drop by in a few days to give it to you, since I can't send it by mail. Fudge is checking for messages from . . . Voldemort's followers. But I highly doubt he will be the minister for long. People have been protesting against him."

"I figured that," said Harry, then Lupin bid goodbye, waved to him, and disappeared on the spot with a loud _'crack!'_ Harry heard a clunk down the street, a muggle had dropped a grocery bag in surprise from the pop, and a few curious heads poked out the window, searching for the noise that sounded like a gunshot. Harry walked inside, and was suddenly confronted by Vernon.

-~*~-

I have updated this chapter, since I have found many mistakes. Good luck with the rest of the story!


	2. Storm of Letters

"What was that noise?" Vernon asked rather loudly.

"Lupin disapparated." Harry replied lazily, heading for the staircase.

"Dissapirated?" Vernon attempted.

"_Disapparated,"_ Harry corrected. "It's something wizards—or witches do to disappear…in a way." Vernon's face turned red, and with effort, he turned away from Harry to make sure the windows were closed.

"You are _not_ to mention that nonsense in this household again boy, or I'm locking you in your cupboard for a week!"

"You know what's funny? When you apparate or disapparate, you can go wherever you want automatically. One of my friends could come here in an instant." Said Harry, picking at invisible dirt underneath his fingernails. Vernon's face instantly changed from red to purple in anger.

"You . . . you . . . go to your room _now._" Vernon finally managed. Harry smirked and trotted up the stairs. Hedwig was currently out for hunting, so Harry opened the loose floorboard under his bed, withdrawing several books, and began his summer homework. Harry was interrupted when he heard several taps at the window.

"In a minute," He said lazily as he opened up the window. About ten different owls swooped in and dropped letters or packages on Harry's bed. Harry slapped his forehead as he looked at his calendar.

"How could I have forgotten my own birthday?" Harry said to no one in particular. He began opening each letter.

_Hello Harry!_

_How are you doing? I've been spending my summer in Europe! Isn't that exciting? You should see all of the different things they have here! I've been learning loads! I hope Professor Binns doesn't mind that I wrote his essay two rolls longer than I was supposed to…. Anyhow, how has your vacation gone? I hope it's gone better than the last five years. I heard you're going to Hogwarts early as well. I hope I can come, but if I can't, have some fun with Ron. Cheers!_

_Love, Hermione._

_P.S. Happy birthday, Harry! You should be getting several presents from all around. Would you believe the _Daily Prophet_ mentioned your birthday? I hope you enjoy my present; it cost me tons._

Harry looked at his bed. Sure enough, there were about eight presents and ten large letters. In Hermione's package, he found a very large book on Occlumency and Hermione had also given him a golden snitch. Harry released it and let it zip around his room. Harry continued to look through his letters, and found an untidy scrawl that looked similar to Ron's. He noticed that Pig was twittering and shooting around his room, and Hedwig was eyeing the owl reproachfully, looking disgusted at its behavior in a way that reminded Harry of Petunia whenever Harry mentioned his 'abnormality.' 

_Hey Harry,_

_I'm sorry to say I won't be able to make it to Hogwarts with you. I know that saying that isn't a great birthday present and all, but my parents are dragging me to Romania, the twins are paying for the trip. Hermione isn't sure whether she can come or not, but you can hope, eh? My dad has gotten a huge pay raise ever since the people that made the regurgitating toilets came out with ear-nipping feletones. Dad's been working relentlessly, and the rest of those idiots in his department have barely found any. We haven't seen much of dad; he's been working for the…er…well you know, and he's been doing that for Fudge as well. Fudge has been over working everybody, and most of the employees are starting a strike against him. Dad looks bloody miserable, I tell you. Percy is still being a slimy git. He won't admit he was wrong. He won't even apologize to Mum! Fred and George have been helping us out of some tight spots. Although they want to be a part of the…er…thingy, and mum had a fit. They let me in on a few things. I can't tell you in this letter, but maybe I can later?  You should see some of the things they came up with, it's awesome! I can't wait to show you. I also can't wait to pull a few pranks on Snape. Greasy Bastard. So with all the money we've been getting lately, Malfoy can't call me poor anymore. We managed to straighten up out house a bit, and make it look better. Have you gotten your O.W.L. results yet? I have. I've got 9 all together. Mum said that I should have gotten all 15, but I just ignored her, as usual. Oh! I forgot to tell you, Fred and George opened a shop in Hogsmeade! They got Lee Jordan to watch the shop for them. I also found out that Oliver Wood is playing for the Chudly Cannons! He's bloody brilliant. He's not the captain or the keeper on the team, but he's a near-perfect chaser. I wonder why he wasn't chaser on the Gryffindor team. I hope you make captain for the quidditch team. I certainly wouldn't do a good job, and I don't want to be one anyways. Prefect was enough for me and I was rotten at it anyways. I couldn't even manage to stand up to Fred and George! Ginny has been talking about Dean all summer and she won't shut up. I swear, how many guys is she going to go out with? Well, happy birthday Harry. Hope you had a good summer!_

_-Ron._

Harry smiled lightly at the end of the letter. He couldn't wait to get a hold of some of the items in the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. He looked at the back of the envelope and felt anger surge through him. A stamp from the Ministry of Magic was on the back, saying that it had been approved. Harry didn't know why they were sorting through his own personal mail, but then remembered that they were searching for deatheaters. Ron had also sent Harry a new chest set, and the pieces were red and gold. Harry suspected that Fred and George had helped pay for them.

Fred and George wished him a happy birthday, and sent him a few things from their joke shop.  A few members from the D.A. sent him some things, mainly defense items, like a compact mirror foe-glass and several books. Cho had sent Harry a book about quidditch, and a letter that said happy birthday, and a hope that they can be friends. Luna sent Harry butterbeer caps threaded on string as a bracelet (Harry put it around his wrist), a quidditch book, a happy birthday, and she said she hoped to see him in the D.A. this year, if it was still being organized. Lupin, and the rest of the order, had sent Harry a pure gold set of gobstones along with several Dark Arts books and a book on animagi. Moody had also sent him a personal book on how to be an auror (written by Moody himself, of course.) Harry had also gotten a green jumper and chocolate cake from Mrs. Weasley. He had found several things from people he didn't even know as well.

Harry grinned ear-to-ear, and stuck the many things beneath the floorboard under his bed. Suddenly, a very pompous looking black and gray tawny owl tapped at the window, holding a thick crème colored envelope. Harry recognized the Hogwarts crest on the back, (And much to Harry's resentment, a Ministry approved stamp.) Harry tore the envelope open eagerly, finding his O.W.L. scores.

**These are your O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) test results for Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your N.E.W.T. (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) examinations will take place in the classes you have exceeded particularly well in. Good luck on your results.**

**Transfiguration:**

**Practical: Outstanding.**

**Written: Exceeds Expectations.**

**Defense Against the Dark Arts:**

**Practical: Outstanding +1.**

**Written: Outstanding.**

**Charms:**

**Practical: Outstanding.**

**Written: Outstanding.**

**Potions:**

**Practical: Outstanding.**

**Written: Outstanding.**

**Herbology:**

**Practical: Outstanding.**

**Written: Exceeds Expectations.**

**Astronomy:**

**Practical: Exceeds Expectations.**

**Written: Acceptable. (Not finished due to difficulties.)**

**Care of Magical Creatures:**

**Practical: Outstanding.**

**History of Magic:**

**Written: Dreadful.**

**Divination: **

**Practical: Poor.**

**Total O.W.L.s: 13/15**

**The N.E.W.T. courses you are expected to take: Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, and Care of Magical Creatures.**

**Congratulations on your score. You may choose the courses you would like to take. Your supply list is on the back of this sheet.**

Harry briefly looked over the supply list, only needing 'Advanced Defense: Triumph Over Your Foes' by Shirla Wilding, 'The Expert's Guide to Transfiguration' by Willa Gerkshaw, 'Potions for the Advanced Mind' by Kreapy Pierson and 'All You Need to Know About Charms' by Sylvias Lurpingswoon. Harry set the papers down, and picked the book on pranks that he had gotten from the anonymous parcel. He didn't even notice that he was reading faster and faster before it took barely three seconds to absorb the information on a page.

Harry was thoroughly surprised that he remembered every fact in the book, and that when he glanced at the clock he had only been reading the two hundred page books for twenty minutes. Harry Finished the rest of his books in the same matter, wondering why he could suddenly read so fast, but figured it was a 'wizard thing' and left it at that.

Harry threw the books under his bed when he finished and went to sleep with troubled thoughts.

-~*~-

{dream sequence}

_Harry's thin, white, long-fingered hand was gripping a wand tightly, trying to suppress some of the venting anger he had on a dark haired man with thin lips and a rather large nose. It was a newly recruited deatheater, and although he was very loyal, he was also very dull._

_"Rickman, you do realize that you have failed to accomplish a simple task? I even gave you specific instructions! I am finding my generosity waning. How could you have failed to receive it?" The voice was cold and high-pitched, and it made the hairs on the back of Harry's neck stand on end._

_"I-I am s-s-sorry M-Master. Please forgive my I-incompetence." The man was shaking violently as he spoke._

_"If I always forgive, then you shall never learn a lesson." Harry said cruelly. "Crucio!"_

-~*~-

Harry awoke with a start; sweat pouring down his face and clutching his scar. Harry had forgotten to clear his thoughts that evening. _But what was Voldemort trying to get a hold of?_ Harry asked himself mentally. Harry then realized that it was indeed morning and time to wake up. Harry yawned, stretching his arms, and glanced at his mirror. The same, skinny and fairly short sixteen years old boy was looking back at him. Harry yawned again widely, and fought the urge to cuddle back into his bed.

He heard Petunia, back from shopping, screeching at him to get down the stairs and make breakfast from her bedroom. Harry proceeded to dress quickly, barely fitting into his baggy hand-me-down pants and cream-colored shirt (it used to be white) from Dudley.

Harry trotted down the stairs, made bacon and eggs, set it out on plates, and then ate his share and part of Dudley's while he was still upstairs sleeping. Harry knew he would pay for that later, but his hunger simply wasn't satisfied. As Harry went outside, he breathed in the crisp morning air, and the sun was high in the sky. There were very few cloud scattered across the heavens, and the day was very cool, yet mildly warm. _Perfect, _thought Harry. He stopped walking as he heard a quick rustle behind him, and a second quieter one followed.

"You can come out now," Harry said, glancing towards the thick underbrush that a man was hiding behind.

-~*~-

I'm not going to put all of my reviewers up here, only a select few, but don't be offended if you don't get up here though. The only ones I'm putting up are either really ecstatic reviewers who said they absolutely LOVED my story, or reviewers who helped push me along in the right direction with my fic without flaming me. Thanks to all of you!  
  
I like angst- Thank you! Well, I made Harry a bit passive, because Sirius's death took a toll on Harry (or so it should,) and Harry has been hit with the knowledge that he is the ONLY one who can defeat Lord Moldyshorts. So therefore, Harry feels separated from the rest of the world and is a bit quieter instead of all I-must-bite-my-friend's-heads-off. But thanks for the review!

Light*hope- Well, I made Lupin appear on the doorstep because I couldn't think of any other way ;) And don't worry; I didn't take that review too hard. I'm only explaining some things because there are some people who haven't read the book that are reading this fic, and WANT the spoilers, so I put it in there. None of the other chapters 'explain' the past five books, I assure you.

Mystical Witch- You don't commonly have the plot in your very first chapter, rofl.

Jewels5- OMG THANK YOU!

FireBreath & GinnyGal189- you both had reviews alike, lol. Thank you both very much! It pleases me to think people believe I have a style similar to JK's work =D

Kit Kat-Thank you! And I thought of the name all by myself ;) Once I thought of it, I fell in love with it, because if you think about it Harry has never had much experience with the wizarding world. And he's a dummy! Just kidding lol. Yeah, I know I'm corny. (OH MY GOSH, I'M BECOMING MY MATH TEACHER WITH THESE CORNY JOKES!)

Yogurt- I SHALL EAT YOU! –Attacks-

Le Coeur- Your review helped me a lot in the mistakes on my behalf. Now I can fix them on my later chapters so people can be happy all around. =D and it turns out they don't give Harry a portkey in the mail anyways, because 'something' comes up. Don't worry; you haven't offended me at all. Offending me would include 'YOUR STORY SUCKS!' or something to that matter, lol. Reviews like yours are really helpful in the making of my story, along with happy reviews, because they keep me motivated. Thanks a galleon!


	3. A Visit From Friends

"When did yer' hearin' get so good?" Mundugus asked rhetorically as he sped up to walk next to him. Harry noted that he smelled remarkably like fire-whisky and his eyes were slightly crossed and blood-shot. Harry snatched the bottle of alcohol out of his hands, and when Mundugus protested Harry interrupted.

"You've had enough," Harry said with a tone that made Mundugus know it was final. Harry proceeded to throw it into a nearby waste bin next to the bus stop at Magnolias Crescent. Harry vaguely recalled the time that Sirius had come here to visit him. Harry forced himself not to think about that, and sped on faster as a burning in the back of his throat began to burn painfully. 

"Wait up!" Mundugus staggered after Harry whose pace had shifted to a slow trot.

"No offense, but I kind of want to be alone," Harry said. Mundugus looked slightly taken aback for a second, before retreating towards Ms. Figg's house with a sloppy bow, a hiccup, and a murmur that sounded like 'Of course.' 

Harry shook his head, trying to clear his nagging headache. Harry felt like something was wrong, but he couldn't quite tell what. His scar was suddenly throbbing dully on his skull, nearly making him as cross-eyed as Mundugus.

_Voldemort is very disappointed with something, _Harry mused. _Wonder if it has to do with what Rickman forgot to get, _he thought. Harry meandered around the park a bit, for nearly and hour before he descended home, kicking a pebble as he walked.

Harry doubled back to his house, not looking across the street. A beat-up blue car came swerving down the road, holding a laughing man with a beer bottle in his right hand, and the passenger wasn't paying attention to the road. In fact, he looked as drunk as the driver. Harry looked up at it lethargically and held up his hand, making it stop instantly. He paid no attention to how powerful the magic he used was, he just continued to walk. The drunken driver looked astonished for a minute, shook his head, and rubbed his bloodshot eyes. Harry simply walked up the porch steps and walked inside the house with out looking back.

As Harry entered the formal living room, he found the Dursley's were missing, and the large chain keys were gone from the key rack. He looked at a table where an elegant lavender letter with curly black writing lay, inviting the Dursley's to dinner with the mayor at six O' clock. 

As Harry glanced around, he found the Dursley's had left about three hours early, due to the mahogany grandfather clock clicking to Harry's left. It was rhythmic and moving in the very silent house. Dudley had the movie, _The Matrix, _on pause at the moment where Neo was waltzing about the walls. Harry's train of thoughts was interrupted as a large crash in the kitchen and a mumbled _'Sorry,' _was heard. His face lit up as he thought of Tonks, and possibly the rest of the order, and then he ran into the kitchen.

"Hello there, Harry!" Said Tonks brightly. Snape clicked his tongue impatiently as he crossed his arms, and sulkily looked around the muggle kitchen. Lupin was looking very grave, and his hand was latched protectively on his wand that currently resided in his pocket.

"Voldemort knows where you are." He stated. "There has been a change of plans,"

"He knows where I am?" Asked Harry. Snape rolled his eyes but didn't speak.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Am I still going to Hogwarts?"

"Yes, Potter, as there is no other safe place you can go." Snape answered snappishly. Harry frowned at him. "The only change in plans is the date, you imbecile."

"Snape!" chastised Tonks. Harry was still glaring at Snape, and steam practically hissed out of his ears.

"I'm not a teacher at the moment." He said, unfolding his arms and flicking the greasy hair out of his eyes. "I can say and do as I please."

"Fine then, insufferable prat," retorted Harry. Snape literally growled back at him.

"You are just like—" started Snape.

"My father?" Harry interrupted in an angry tone. "I'm going to pack." He said, and then calmly strode out of the room. Tonks's voice drifted up the stairs along with Harry.

'Way to go, Snape."

"Don't blame me if Potter needs a temper adjustment."

Harry wondered on what Snape would look like if he could just take his wand out and give him pink hair and frilly dress until—

"Wow Snape, that's a new look for you!" Tonks choked between hysterical laughter. 

"POTTER!" Snape roared.

Harry cringed and ran up the last few steps. Not only would he get a throttling from Snape, but also the Ministry of Magic should be giving him a letter, expelling him from Hogwarts. Harry recalled when he made the car stop using his hands. Why hadn't they contacted him yet?

As Harry neared his room, he groaned at the large mess, and at the large clutter underneath the floorboard, protruding from under his bed. Harry quickly stuffed everything in a large clutter, grabbed Hedwig, and hauled the trunk, bird, and cage out of his door.

Harry nearly dropped his trunk when he saw Snape glaring at him harder than Voldemort does when Harry thwarted his plans. He no longer was wearing the pink hair and frilly dress, yet his facial expression was contorted in fury. Harry cringed.

"Jeez, what do you have in this thing?" Lupin asked incredulously as he lifted Harry's trunk from the ground. "An elephant?"

"No, but I might have a whale somewhere inside," Harry replied sarcastically, and took the portkey from Lupin, feeling the familiar lurching behind his navel.

-~*~-

Crater212- I didn't notice that! Rickman just came to my mind! It's not Snape under another identity if that's what your wondering…although that _would _be interesting…hmmm….

LILRKCHK- See? I mentioned you :) I just wanted to put the really long reviews up that probably took a lot of thought; I never said you weren't special!

Tsk tsk…I'm disappointed, I want more reviews!


	4. A New Sorting Hat Song

They each appeared in Dumbledore's office, clutching either the leather pouch, or Harry. Dumbledore smiled lightly as his own sign of greeting without speaking. There was a mildly uncomfortable silence that made Harry fidget under Dumbledore's stare.

"The password to the Gryffindor tower is 'Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes,' would you mind setting your stuff in while I talk to them?"

Harry paused for a moment, looking as though he'd rather stay.

"Go on then," Said Dumbledore. Harry sighed and walked out, dragging his trunk and Hedwig behind him.

Harry stared into the common room fire as soon as he got settled in, not really knowing what to do. He deeply wished his friends would've come to stay for the summer, but he knew that they had lives and families to attend to. Sighing, Harry put his hands behind his head and tapped his foot impatiently. Finally, Dumbledore entered the common room to talk to Harry.

"Well, Harry, I must say that Hogwarts may be a little boring for you without a muggle television, but every section to the library will be available to you, just don't overuse the restricted section, and Hagrid is back for the summer. You will be allowed to wonder wherever you want, except I'd prefer you either stay at Hogwarts or Hogsmeade. You will need a professor's permission to travel to Diagon Alley. You may practice quidditch, so on so forth, and one of us will instruct you every week with jinxes, spells, and curses."

And true to his word, every week, one of the professors that were still at Hogwarts, or ones that only stopped by, came to train Harry. Harry merely meandered lazily around Hogwarts, longing to talk with Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville…at least _somebody._ He sent frequent letters to Ron until Ron told him that Harry was going to kill Hedwig.

-~*~- 

It was dark, and Harry was sprawled across his bed as a copy of the Witch Weekly fluttered slightly with each snoring breath. A picture of Umbridge was on the cover, and she rattled the grungy bars furiously, scowling down at the large red print, "UMBRIDGE SENDS POTTER A DEMENTOR AND CAUSES PHYSICAL HARM TO CHILDREN. DETAILS INSIDE." Hedwig suddenly hooted loudly, awaking Harry. Toppling out of bed, and the magazine slipping under his bed, he got dressed quickly, and handed Hedwig an owl treat.

"Thanks for waking me before the banquet, Hedwig, you're the best." He said, and then ran out of the common room, and towards the Grand Hall.

The older Hogwarts piled in and sat down, followed by the timid looking first years. Luna, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny each sat as close to Harry as they could and immediately bombarded Harry with comments and questions.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come Harry, mum had to take us to Egypt, and I had no time to write you a letter, because Pig was busy with sending Hermione a letter, and for some reason he hadn't come back for awhile."

"Well, I'm sorry Ron, but I had to borrow him," Hermione said to Ron.

"How was it here?" Asked Ginny.

"I hope you weren't too lonely." Said Neville.

"_Hem hem," _said Harry, as he held up his hand and grinned. "Give me a moment to talk, why don't you? First of all, Voldemort—shut up Ron—found out where I lived, so I er…came here early, and well…yeah. Hagrid has kept me company, and it was quiet fun here, thanks."

Suddenly, Harry was nearly toppled over, and his vision turned from the grand hall into a large mass of Hermione's bushy hair.

"Her-mi-one! I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, and Hermione blushed as she released him.

Harry answered, as McGonagall brought out the stool with a large gray, patched hat placed on it. Everyone quieted as they awaited the brim of the hat to open and sing.

_"While most of you think I'm ugly,_

_Others think I'm neat._

_I'm here to tell you of a story,_

_That I will not repeat._

_Several years ago,_

_The four founders were born._

_And they were like no other,_

_None had talent like another. _

_Eventually houses grew apart,_

_Rival houses formed._

_And although I do not wish to sort you lot,_

_It is what I'm meant to do._

_To sum it up to all of you,_

_Lord Voldemort is back._

_In order to defeat him,_

_None of you must slack._

_You must all pledge alliances,_

_For this matter is very grim._

_Though I sort you today,_

_Even though I do wish that wasn't the case,_

_Please remember: You may not all be alike,_

_But one thing here is true._

_Not all of you from Slytherin,_

_Would join Voldemort so quickly._

_And not all from Ravenclaw,_

_Answer questions so slickly._

_Not all from Gryffindor_

_Are brave and royal,_

_And not all Hufflepuff_

_Are so just and as loyal._

_If all of you found a different person,_

_Who does not only hold house qualities alone._

_You might just find that they are different,_

_Instead of chilling to the bone._

_May I sort you to the house you like best,_

_And may all of you be different from the rest."_

"That was inspiring…Ready to pledge your alliance with Draco, now, Harry?" Asked Ron.

"Not in a lifetime." Harry replied blandly.

"Faye Willington," Shouted McGonagall, and this one individual caught Harry's attention. She had long straggly brown hair, and mud-caked clothing. Red welts spotted up her arms, as if she were a human Dalmatian. As she stepped up to the sorting hat, Dumbledore looked at her worriedly.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Shouted the hat. The first year attempted a bashful smile as she made her way towards the loud, hollering table.

"Amelia Gray!" Called McGonagall, and a small and skinny girl, also with long brown hair, stepped up to the sorting hat.

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted before the hat even touched her head. The sorting continued, ending with a "Gerald Brochkoviche," whom was sorted into Slytherin.

Then Harry looked at the staff table, as he had forgot to do at first, and a man he had never seen before was sitting there calmly, as if he hadn't a care in the world. He had long blonde hair, he was wearing dark green robes, a carefree, round face, and his ears were pointed. But wasn't able to dwell on it too much, as Dumbledore began to say the First of the year notices.

"As all of you should know _by now—_" Ron and Harry exchanged amused glances, "—the Forbidden Forest, as its name proclaims, is strictly _forbidden. _Also, Filch has taken to remind me that the Weasley Twin's names are not to be mentioned in neither the hallways, nor it the 'Weasley is our King' song, either version. Though I believe the Gryffindor version is more suitable. Umbridge, thankfully, is banished from this school, and all of the teachers have been brought back. Since I'm on the subject of teachers, I would like to welcome Professor Craigan, who is of course, teacher of the Defense against the Dark Arts. I am done flapping my jaws for now, so tuck in!"

Dumbledore then swung his long, silvery beard over his shoulder, and ate whilst talking very animatedly to McGonagall, nodding his head here and there. Food magically reappeared ion the tables, taking the first years breath away as the gazed at the food. Harry had begun to fill his plate, piling the food very high, and each plate vanished in a few minutes. Harry went though six plates before Ron grabbed his hand.

"Leave enough for us poor deprived individuals who have only had one serving." He said, shaking his head sadly.

"Just one more plate?" Harry pleaded.

"You have had six plates already!" Said Dean, "Have you eaten at all this summer?"

"Yes," Harry defended. "I just have a high metabolism."

"You didn't last year." Said Ron.

"Yeah, well, I do this year." Harry finished lamely, and grabbed a roll. Seamus and Dean each shook their head and Ron snatched all the food he could before Harry ate it.

The trip back to the Common rooms was a sleepy one, and Ron and Hermione lagged through their prefect duties. 

"Comon' you midgets." Said Ron lazily.

"Ron! Stop calling them midgets!" Hermione said angrily.

"Pygmies then. Comon' you pygmies!"

The first years looked thoroughly offended, but they were too interested by the castle to care.


	5. Creepy Clown

Harry woke up the next morning, to find a porcelain clown doll on his bedside table. It had a mischievous grin similar to Peeves, and its eyes glimmered mysteriously. Harry frowned at it, and then got dressed; having the odd feeling that he was being watched. Harry found that nobody was in the dorm except Neville, who was snoring loudly in his slumber. A shudder formed along Harry's spine, and Harry felt a queasy feeling in his stomach as he hurried out of the dormitory to breakfast.

"Hey Ron, did you give me some odd clown doll?" Harry asked curiously as he sat at the Gryffindor table.

"I don't think so," said Ron. "I only play with dolls when no one's looking," He grinned.

Hermione looked at each of them skeptically, then straightened her Daily Prophet, before exclaiming, 'Oh my!' 

"What?" Asked Ron, as he had taken a swig of pumpkin juice. He glance down the page, and his pumpkin juice hurdled out of his mouth and into Sean's face.

"Smooth," Commented Hermione, as she performed a spell to rid Seamus of the back-washed juice, and Ron laughed nervously at Seamus's growling face.

"What is it?" Harry asked. Ron shoved the paper to Harry, and his expression was unreadable. It looked as if he were between disbelief, astonishment, and excitement. Harry nearly choked as he read the first sentence.

**_New Minister of Magic!_**

_Our very own minister Cornelius Fudge was ruled out of office earlier this week for placing a dangerous and mental witch to spy on Hogwarts, and for spreading lies about Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, and Albus Dumbledore, Order of Merlin first class and headmaster of Hogwarts. Mr. Arthur Weasley has miraculously replaced him out of popular vote in the Ministry of Magic, nearly everyone in the Ministry claiming that he is the most responsible and hard working man ever born, and would make sure justice is served. This is a gigantic opportunity for a man who has seven children, and formerly worked for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department……._

Ron had a dreamy look on his face, until he looked at his schedule.

"Urgh, double potions first! Isn't there someway to get out of this for being the son of the Minister of Magic?"

"Now, now, don't get a big head Ron," Said Hermione absentmindedly as she nibbled at her toast.

All three of them walked down to the dank, dreary dungeons after breakfast was over, and Ron was chatting animatedly at what he could do now, while he strode into Snape's classroom.

After what seemed forever, Snape finally made his 'grand entrance' and glared at Harry.

"Five points from Gryffindor for scowling at me, Potter." Snape sneered.

"You can't do that!" Harry said angrily, but was cut off as Hermione kicked him.

"Five more points off for back talking, now, follow the instructions on the board…"

Snape pointed his wand at the board. Long instructions to make a minor healing potion magically appeared on the chalkboard, followed by what to do with it when you're done. Snape soon after sat sulkily at his desk, his piercing eyes boring into Harry. Harry visibly flinched, and started making his potion, though kept an eye on Draco whom was absentmindedly stirring his potion, one hand holding up his head.

Harry finally was able to turn in his potion vial; it was close to Hermione's perfect lime green, but not quite. Harry gave it to Snape, and excused himself from the cold dungeons. As Harry sauntered up towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, he found that he didn't really want to walk with Hermione or Ron. At the moment, he wanted to be alone. He was the first to enter the Defense room, and found that the interior was a light earthy green, and had several dark arts creatures in tanks or cages placed on cabinets or walls.

"Hello there, I take it you're Harry!" Greeted Professor Craigan cheerily. Harry smiled back at him, and took a seat around the middle of the desks. An angry Ron and Hermione later joined him.

"Why didn't you walk with us?" Asked Ron. The hurt tone in his voice was distinguishable. 

"I don't know…" Harry answered lazily.

Very soon, the rest of the sixth years piled in the classroom

"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Said Craigan. You could tell that he was nearly shaking with anticipation. "My name, as you all should know if you listen to Dumbledore, is Professor Craigan. I have been teaching in the Elfin Realm before now, and Dumbledore went to great lengths to contact us. I consider it as a great opportunity to teach humans about our powerful, yet forgotten defense techniques. I don't tolerate slackers, that is just my fair warning. I want each and every one of you to try your best. Now, books away. I highly doubt we will use them at all during the year."

The class was now as eager to get on with the lesson as Craigan, so he got straight to the point. 

"I will be teaching you the energy shield spell. This energy shield will be able to block even large hexes, and can even shield some of the pain from a cruciatus curse, if you learn it well enough. Unfortunately, it cannot block the killing curse, and nothing I know of can. The incantation is Potentia Coercere, and you will know you did it correctly if you see a flash of yellow surround you."

The class was each trying to make the shield, but all they each gat was a fuzzy flash of white. Harry performed it, and had a stunning flash of sparkling yellow surround him on his fifth try.

"Very good, very good, Mr. Potter. Fifty points to Gryffindor!" He said.

The rest of the classes were like a dull dream to Harry, and Harry felt as though his mind couldn't correctly comprehend every miniature task. Though the sun was shining, it felt as though the clouds were overcast to Harry, for the air seemed calm and serene as though preparing for a storm, instead of light, cheery, and breezy like it originally was. The clown looked as though it were laughing at him, and staring at him every way he turned. Ignoring the curious stares from his roommates, Harry took, the doll, opened the window, and chucked it out. Feeling satisfied, Harry crept back towards his four-poster bed, and scrambled under his covers.

-~*~-

{Dream Sequence}

_Harry's thin-fingered hand turned over a thick, crème colored page on a heavy book. The writing written on the page was almost illegible because of the soft curvy text, yet his head fully understood the words._

_Long ago when the world was young, a great and powerful lord once ruled the earth. He possessed a large and powerful staff, which was able to destroy entire towns from one blast. It is rumored that this staff, The Staff of Amun-Rah, still resides in an ancient temple, hidden from hands that could cause great destruction. The one who defeated the dark lord, whom wielded the staff, was the child of light. Finally the world was back in place again, the mystery of this ancient lord forgotten over the years. Now a new one arises, wanting the staff for himself. And if he acquires The Staff of Amun-Rah, he shall be nearer to his goal…_

-~*~-

Harry was abruptly awoken as he felt a scuttling on his legs, tickling the skin underneath his knee. Harry threw open the bed sheet, and found the porcelain clown doll clutching his calf. Slowly, the clown cricked his neck at Harry, and his face broke into a wicked, evil grin, and a haunting laugh echoed though Harry's mind.


	6. Astonishing Facts

*This chapter has been edited.

-~*~-

"ARRRRRGHH!" Exclaimed Harry, as he tried to shove the sinister clown off of his leg, yet the clown stayed attached, and started to crawl up Harry's leg. Harry fell of his bed, and the curtains came with him as Harry continued to struggle. In all the commotion, somebody lit a candle, and the flickering light was barely showing underneath Harry's sheets.  "GET IT OFF ME!" Harry shouted.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Ron's face was a pasty white, as he watched Harry twist and flail under a tangle of curtains and bed sheets. He thought Harry was dreaming.

"IT BIT ME!" Harry yelled, as he finally managed to yank the clown off his calf, and he threw it across the room, where it hit the wall. The clown continued to smirk insidiously. Seamus and Dean were staring at Harry in alarm, and Neville looked terrified.

Harry looked through the hole in his pants, where the clown had bit him. It was bleeding, and a large chunk of skin had been ripped off.

"Should I get a teacher?" Asked Ron, but had no time to do so, before McGonagall crashed into their dorm, her bun disarray and her tartan nightgown crooked off her shoulders.

"What is all this commotion?" She asked, looking at Harry on the ground, who was panting heavily and clutching his leg, to the other children, who were looking at Harry worriedly, and finally to the foreboding clown with a realistic glimmer in it's eye. "Who gave you that?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"I…don't know," Harry replied as he started to hyperventilate. "I just f-found it on my table this morning."

Then, Harry was hit with an excruciating pain in his gut more torturous than the cruciatus curse. Harry screamed deafeningly, and he thought that death would be a blessing at the very moment. Harry had screamed at himself, as tears came in heavy torrents down his cheeks. Ron tried to rush to his side, but McGonagall held him back.

"He has to get through this on his own." She said weakly. "There's nothing we can do."__

"What's happening to him?" Ron shouted over Harry's screaming. "We have to help him!"

"We can't right now, and I'll explain later!" McGonagall said, exasperated. 

_'I WON'T DIE THIS WAY!'_

And a flash of bright green light engulfed him, sending clashing sparks across the dormitory, illuminating Seamus's, Dean's, and Neville's terrified faces. The clown was laughing hysterically, and it began to float from the floor.

Harry's agonizing screaming began to crack, as the green glow surrounded his body, and Harry felt tight pricks across his body, as though he were being poked with a needle. Blood ran down his wrists, from where his fingernails had dug into his palms, and his tears were drying and sticky, yet new torrents of teardrops fell.

Finally, the pain ceased, leaving Harry at a crumpled heap panting on the floor. The clown held his hand up in a mock salute, and then erupted in flames. McGonagall laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Shh, everything's going to be alright."

Harry stood up shakily, and coughed so hard it racked his body. "I-I'm okay n-now…" Harry said, as he nearly toppled over. His voice was raspy from the screaming. Several kids from other dorms had poked their head inside, to see who was screaming. Hermione stumbled in and gasped.

"Harry! Are you alright?" 

"I-I think s-so," Harry replied, as he grabbed his bedpost to keep himself from falling. His green eyes were glowing in the dark. "I-I just n-need t-to rest, I think…" Harry continued, and then fell over.

"H-he didn't die did he?" Neville squeaked from the corner.

"No, Neville, Harry's going to be just fine." McGonagall replied, smiling wryly.__

-~*~-

Harry awoke a week later, and found a huge pile of presents sitting on his bedside table in the hospital room. A blurry Madam Pomfrey bustled in, carrying a mustard yellow potion in her hand. Harry grabbed his glasses and put them on warily.

"Ah, you're awake," She said briskly, and opened the blinds on the window. Dust swirled in the ray of sunshine that peeked through the cracks in the blinds. Madam Pomfrey came back towards Harry, pinched his nose, and nearly shoved the potion vial down his throat.

Harry swallowed the bitter tasting potion, and coughed.

"Jeez, trying to choke me the moment I awake?" Harry asked irritably.

"You know, I don't know how you do it," said Madam Pomfrey.

"Do what? Swallow your disgusting potions?"

"No," She replied promptly. "Get stuck in a hospital bed for a week on your first day of school. You might as well claim this your home away from home."

Harry laughed as he unwrapped a chocolate frog. As he popped the frog in his mouth and swallowed, he felt the frog hopping inside of his stomach. Harry winced as he remembered the pain that the clown had given him. He felt as though he was floating around a black void, and somebody kept blowing off nuclear bombs inside his body, but Harry just wouldn't blow up.

"What exactly was that—er—clown thing?" Harry asked as he sat up and attempted to reach for his glasses. They weren't on the bedside table, but he saw perfectly without them anyways. 

"Well, that 'clown thing' is more properly known, as silly as it sounds, the clown of despair. A man who was even more of a lunatic than you-know-who originally created it to, well, kill people."

Harry thought her tone was that of a whisper, even though he could hear her as if she were shouting across a football field. 

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Meaning, that you should've died, but you didn't." Harry remembered the prophecy. Harry could only die by Voldemort's hands. _Least I don't have to worry about a heart attack…_Harry thought to himself.

Madam Pomfrey quickly handed him a manila envelope, addressed to Harry. Harry looked curiously up at Madam Pomfrey, who said, 

"It's from Professor Dumbledore."

"Oh," Harry replied, then opened it.

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope that Madam Pomfrey has explained everything you needed to know. I'm sorry to say that I had a very important press conference with Beauxbatons and I couldn't stay here with you. My deepest apologies. However, I wanted to explain something else to you. I'm fairly sure that you have experienced several times during great stress, where you performed very advanced magic without even realizing that you had tapped into your blocked power. It is quite possible that the clown unblocked some of your power, due to the pain you went through when it bit you. You see, most of the time your body can produce powerful magic because of intense emotional or physical pain. Since the pain you experienced was so great, you most likely unlocked some of the power that had been blocked inside of your body. Why has it been blocked, you ask? For the same reason that you may have unblocked your power. Also as defense against containing such power as a young child, your body sealed away your power. I also needed to inform you that you are to, again, have occlumency lessons with Professor Snape, and they will start on next Monday. _Harry groaned. _I would rather teach you myself, but sadly, I do not have enough time, and Snape is much more experienced than any other teacher in this building. Please try your best to get along._

_Sincerely,_

_Professor Albus Dumbledore_

Harry put down the letter, feeling more curious than before.

"Can I get up now?" Harry asked.

"Oh sure, go right ahead, you've only been bitten by a murderous clown and been unconscious for a week…"

"Fine, I'll stay here, but can I at least go to the bathroom?"

"Alright, alright, go ahead." Harry sighed in relief, but she shoved chocolate down his throat. "_But," _she said, "I want you to eat his first."

Harry frowned, and tried to swallow, nearly choking himself yet again.

"Are you in a 'choking mood' today or something?" Harry asked as he finally managed to swallow the chocolate the size of London.

"Well, work _has_ been stressful lately…"

Harry laughed and lifted himself off the bed as he headed towards the bathroom. As he looked inside, nearly everything was padded. He felt as though he were in an insane ward. 

After Harry went to the bathroom, (AN: snigger, snigger) He lift up his pant leg, where the clown had but him. It was purple, and thumping on his leg with his heartbeat.

Harry walked out of the bathroom, and stopped at Madam Pomfrey's desk. Madam Pomfrey was shuffling papers importantly, and she only looked up as Harry asked something.

"Madam Pomfrey?"

"Yes?" She seemed very impatient with Harry at the moment, as though Harry were interrupting the Opera.

"Is it normal to have a scar that er…pulsates?" Harry asked timidly.

"What do you mean?" She was looking at Harry sternly over the rim of her glasses.

"Er…never mind. Listen, I'm feeling loads better now, and I want a bit of fresh air. Can I _please _go?"

"Oh all right. You're too much like James. I couldn't hold him in bed for two seconds before he was out the door and nearly killing himself on a broomstick again. Off you go," Said Madam Pomfrey. Harry found his duffle bag at the floor near his bedside table, and Harry shoved all his sweets inside it, before turning to leave.

-~*~-

Okay, no cliffie this time. :) I felt bad for last time, rofl. I think Madam Pomfrey sounds a bit off character…but…tell me whatcha think!

To my wonderful reviewers:

RadarPLO Haha, I'm special and updated for you :)

Sword Weilder Thank you! That was one weird idea, eh?

James-Padfoot That was a bit like Chucky, wasn't it? Thanks :)

Mary-Jo I wasn't going for ancient myths, actually. I just wanted to name it Amun-Rah. And it's the name of a staff, not a god. Don't worry, you didn't offend me any. I just hope I didn't sound all mean-like in this reply. =)

FishofTime Clowns are creepy, aren't they? And thank you =]

Nauriell My heart is all a-flutter. I am mean for ending a chapter like so, aren't I? But it is sooo fun and addictive o torture. ^_^

THANKS FOR ALL OF THE FABULOUS REVIEWS! NEW CHAPTER UP SATURDAY!


	7. Dreams and Nightmares Are All Alike

                Note to self: Being computer-less for so many freaking days really sucks.

-~*~-

After Harry had left Madam Pomfrey to her papers, he had walked back to the Gryffindor tower. It was midafternoon on a Saturday, so right now, Harry had no classes. Pretty soon, Harry had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Password?" Asked the Fat Lady.

"Beewheezle," Harry replied, and walked inside as the portrait swung open. (Haha my bad, never mentioned the Fat Lady.) 

"Harry!" Said Hermione as Harry clambered inside. "Madam Pomfrey said you would be out for another week," She stated.

"Well if you don't want me here I could always go back…"

"That's not what I meant!" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry grinned. "I know. By the way, where's Ron?" Harry asked.

"Prefect duties," Hermione said absently. Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "What? I'm on vacation." She said huffily.

"I'm going to take a quick nap," Harry said. "I have a headache."

"It's still light out though…you should've stayed in the hospital wing!" Said Hermione.

"Why? And get an even bigger headache? I don't think so," Harry replied and left the room to the boy's dormitories. As he walked inside, he saw Hedwig waiting for him in the dormitory. "'Lo Hedwig," Harry said, as he took the note from her leg. Hedwig cooed softly. 

_Dear Harry,_

_How are you? Dumbledore said that you managed to make it to the hospital wing already, but he wouldn't tell me why. He said it was up to you to decide to tell me what was going on. I won't pressure you to tell me, but I would like to know. I just hope you're all right._

_Best wishes,_

_Remus_

Harry wrote him a letter back explaining what had happened.

"Here Hedwig. Take this," Harry held up Lupin's letter, "To Lupin." Hedwig nipped Harry's ear affectionately, and soared out the window.

Harry then went to sleep, and tried his best to clear his thoughts; but too much was on his mind.

-~*~-

_"You have failed to kill that Potter brat, Malfoy, and after you told me that you knew this would work!" Harry said, his anger reaching a mounting height._

_"I am truly sorry, Master. I never dreamed that he would have been able to survive…"_

_"Of course he would have survived!" Harry made a potted plant explode to his right. Lucius was shaking, and his pale, stark-white face nearly glowed under his hood. "Ever since I went out of my way to get you out of Azkaban, you have been nothing but trouble."_

_"I—I"_

_"I don't want to hear it." Harry said. "Crucio. You're lucky I haven't killed you yet. I still don't know whether or not you summoned Dumbledore yourself as you were about to sacrifice your son." Lucius's screams brought a smile to Harry's face, and Harry left the room. He looked around him. He was in an elegant wooded hallway, walls covered with pictures of ancient dark lords; it was no doubt Voldemort admired each and every one of them. Harry entered a chamber, and the book he had left a week ago was located on a black table. Harry saw the title of the book; _Ancient prophesies that may lead to the unknown future, _until Harry seemed to realize he had a visitor._

_"Well well well, Harry." Harry said into the dark room. "Curious, are you?" Harry was shot with a pain that woke Harry from his dream. _(Confusing, eh?)

-~*~-

Harry sat up, breathing heavily, wanting to get a better grip on reality. He had a hard time keeping himself from yelling out, and he really didn't want to wake up the rest of the Gryffindor dormitory as he did last time. He must have been sleeping for a while, because Ron was currently snoring in his bed, a loose feather from his pillow floating away from his mouth with each breath.

Harry thought about Sirius. Sirius could've helped him; guided him…if only Harry had just used that mirror. It still lay broken at the very bottom of his trunk. Harry had refused to touch it. He still wanted nothing more than to prove Sirius's innocence, but Harry wasn't entirely sure how. Harry flumped back into the pillow, filled with a slightly vacant and sad emotion, yet much more of love as he thought of Sirius, and for once, he went to bed with emotions, and didn't have to follow Voldemort around.

-~*~-

ARRRG! I am sooooooooooooooooooo sorry, I was grounded from the computer the day I was going to update early (Saturday) and then, the next day, my dad takes to computer apart to put some new parts in and told me I wouldn't have a computer for a few days. Jeez, I can't tell you how useless and uneventful my life is. If I don't have the computer, I sit on the couch and watch sitcoms, do my homework, read a book, or go rollerblading. Yippee. By the way: I REALLY recommend Pirates of the Caribbean! That is the BEST movie I have ever seen. (And no, it isn't because of Orlando Bloom or Johnny Depp, but they really helped =]) Oh yeah, Angus, Thongs, and full-frontal snogging is an awesome book, and hilariously funny. 

RadarPLO-What's so funny? Lol.

LILRKCHK- I know, I thought the clown thing was pretty cool if you ask me. I have problems thinking of extremely original ideas; and that was very original if I do say so myself J. And thanks for the suggestion; I do plan on starting up occlemency lessons with Snape. 

Psychotic Coconut Observer-I don't know…. 100 is my real goal, but if I got 12 more reviews just to get my next chapter up, I would have been ecstatic. –shrugs-

Cdonwody-THANK YOU J

Pug320-Thank you as well.

You are all wonderful little muffinettes. Please help me in my grande quest to get 100 reviews. –bows-


	8. Distant Thoughts

                As Harry got up and started to get dressed, him slimly noticed the intrigued stares Seamus and Dean were giving him. Harry Walked out of the dormitory, not saying a word to anybody—even Ron—but was stopped by both Ron and Hermione before he could walk out of the door. Feeling relatively grumpy, Harry was a tad snappish with them.

"Could you please _move?" _Harry inquired angrily; hands crossed. Ron and Hermione exchanged raised eyebrows. Harry tried to push past Ron, but he stopped him.

"Harry—" said Ron, hands behind his back.

"Yes?" Asked Harry in an exasperated tone.

"Um… Harry—" Hermione looked a bit sheepish.

"WHAT?" 

"We er…thought you wanted to know…"

"Get on with it already," said Harry.

"Well…"

Harry made a noise somewhere between a groan, a sigh, and a growl at Hermione and Ron's _extremely _hesitant approach.

"McGonagall doesn't think you should play quidditch this year. She says you have too many troubles. We heard her in the teacher's lounge, trying to get the scoop on what happened to you, and she said that 'you'd be better off not playing, considering Voldemort—oh, shut up Ron-- is at large, and he is finding new ways to try and bring you down, and it just wouldn't be safe for you on a broom." Hermione said in a rush.

"Reasonable," said Harry. Hermione breathed outwards in relief. "But I won't give up quidditch."

"But she is right, you know." Ron pointed out, before Hermione kicked him. She wasn't in for having a go with Harry today.

"I know, but Lord Moldy-Shorts isn't going to ruin my life any further than he already has. I'm not going to stop doing everything I enjoy just to insure my safety. Like eating, which is something I was planning on doing before I was stopped by you two."

"No need to bite our heads off," Hermione reprimanded angrily.

Harry sighed, rubbing his temples. "I know, and I'm sorry…"

"I'll forgive you, just don't take your anger out on us."

Finally, Hermione and Ron let Harry pass, and the trio strode down the corridors into the Grand Hall for breakfast. The Grand Hall was full of owls swarming about to meet their masters. Hedwig flew towards Harry in a swirl of snow white feathers, two letters clamped inside of her beak. She dropped the letters at Harry's table, nipped Harry's ear affectionately, and then proceeded to soar right back out the window. Harry opened the letters eagerly; the first one was from Lupin, and the second from Dumbledore.

_Dear Harry,_

_I guess I understand. That—er—clown thingy you got sound awfully fishy to me. A good wizard wouldn't have given you something like that unless they knew the result. Maybe Voldemort gave it to you, intending to kill you, but his tactic didn't go as planned. I have nothing else to say here; So far Voldemort hasn't been up to anything, which is scaring us more than if he were killing wizard to wizard to wizard. Nothing else to say here, I tried giving you as much information as I could without getting the evil eye from Professor Dumbledore._

_Remus_

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment as he pondered over what Voldemort could be planning besides getting the staff. Not coming up with anything, Harry went to his next letter. (If you forgot, it's from Dumbledore.)

_Dear Harry,_

_I understand that you're worried at the moment, but I can assure you, nothing can kill you while your in Hogwart's grounds, and I can highly assure you, that Voldemort won't be able to do so as well.. Unfortunately, I have been busy dealing with press conferences and such still, and have had trouble putting my work aside to talk with you. You have occlumency today with Snape at six O' clock, just a reminder. Ginny, again, has filled in as seeker, along with other volunteers, and I think you might want to choose some better players. I have decided to choose you as captain on the Gryffindor team, unless you would like to forfeit the position, and if you do, go to Professor McGonagall._

_Sincerely,_

_Professor Albus Dumbledore_

"I'm the quidditch captain!" Said Harry.

"Great job, mate." Said Ron. His smile looked forced, and soon enough, Harry's smile looked forced as well. If Ron were quidditch captain, it would give him just the amount of confidence her needed.

-~*~-

"I'm not sure, Potter, I will go to Dumbledore with this matter. Are you sure you want to give up your position?"

"As long as Ron gets it instead of me…he is really great at planning out games, stricter than Wood."

The corners of McGonagall's mouth twitched slightly, and she said,

"Go on, to Professor Snape's room with you."

Harry groaned in reply.

"It'll be okay, he is now forbidden to throw you from his class, due to the fact he could possibly injure you."

"Where are the Weasley twins and their puking pastilles when you need them?"

-~*~-

"Legilimens!" Shouted Snape. (Skipping a lot of scenes, aren't I?)

Harry was met showered with memories like rain onto the pavement—Dudley flushing his head down the toilet, Aunt Marge rearing her large, ugly purple head, Umbridge and the burning in the back of his hand, finding that she had been using his blood, Sirius… Harry shoved Snape out of his mind with such force that it nearly knocked Snape over. 

"Very good, Potter, for once, that's exactly what you should've been doing last year."

Harry said nothing, as he was frantically trying to hold on to his dignity and not cry in front of Snape. Harry's eyes watered, but luckily, Snape didn't notice.

"Are the lessons over yet, Professor?" Harry asked still struggling to keep his composure. He thought he saw the _slightest _touch of a softened expression in Snape's face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come.

"Yes Potter, meet me next Tuesday."

"I thought I'm supposed to meet on Mondays," Harry said, confused.

"Gee, what a genius of a father that must have had a part in making you. How unbelievably smart Potter is." The sarcasm in his voice was highly detectable, and Harry frowned. "Monday is the day of the crescent moon, Potter, and you'd be somewhere else at the time, so we're going to meet on _Tuesday_." 

Harry wanted _so badly _to shout unruly and inappropriate curses at Snape, but didn't fancy getting thrown out from his room, and so Harry answered,

"Yes _sir."_

-~*~-

Ahhh, another fabbity-fab-fab chappie fini! merci de toutes vos revues fabuleuses et colorées, vous peu le muffinettes !

LILRKCHIK-I took you up on your offer :)

RadarPLO-Hopefully this one met your interests. What Harry is going to do next ? I don't know. All I know for sure is, it's going to be a heck of a lot easier for him in classes.

Crater212-Which is why i just added this chapter so early. Sorry the last one was so short.

Sword Weilder – Firebreath-I did :)

Cdunwody-You're already on ym buddylist. My SN is x maraudette, recently changed. And it may just change again, because I like changes.

Je projette sur prendre le français au highschool, et j'utilise actuellement un traducteur, parce que je suce au Français. J'ai voulu faire l'espagnol au début, mais j'ai officiellement changé d'avis. Je vous espère ai apprécié mes chapitres jusqu'ici, et le prochain chapitre est dû sur Monday/Tuesday. 

Translation: I plan on taking up french at highschool, and I'm currently using a translator, because I suck at French. I wanted to do Spanish at first, but I have officially changed my mind. I hope you have enjoyed my chapters so far, and next chapter is due on Monday/Tuesday.


	9. The New Quidditch Captain

                A/N: HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

                -~*~-

"How did Occlumency go Harry?" Asked Ron as Harry came back through the portrait hole. His face was crinkled in an angry frown.

"What's the date to get to Hogsmeade?" Harry inquired.

"I believe it's October the thirtieth, why?"

"I'm going to humiliate Snape with the best of your brother's products."

"Maybe I should do it…if you do it, you might get kicked out of occlumency _again."_

"Do I look like I care?"

"Be reasonable Harry, do you really need to wake all of us every night because you had a nightmare?"

"Fine, you win, but Snape is still a greasy git."

"I couldn't agree more."

Harry and Ron passed a group of second year girls chatting in the corner, and charming nail polish the flash different colors, and they stopped what they were doing, hands in mid-air as they watched Harry pass them, eyes as wide as Luna's on a particularly surprising day. Harry sighed and flumped into a squashy armchair.

The girls started giggling, squealing, and whispering behind Harry's back.

"Still want all the bloody attention, Ron?" Asked Harry as Ron flopped into an armchair next to him.

"I think I'll pass."

"By the way; you're the new quidditch captain, I forfeited."

"You _what?"_

"I gave up my position. I don't have the time to commit to be a quidditch captain."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Of course I'm sure! I wouldn't have spent two hours arguing about it with McGonagall last night if I wasn't. Including I spent practically another hour telling her I was sure that I wouldn't burst into flames and meet my doom while playing quidditch. Besides, you know more about quidditch than I do, and I'd probably block Wood's quidditch spirit. You on the other hand…you'd be a loon ordering us to play during a tornado."

"Damn straight."

"I think I may just go have another chat with McGonagall," mumbled Harry. Ron laughed,

"I was just kidding." They both laughed, and then there was an awkward silence for a moment.

"You know," said Harry as he looked out the window at Hagrid's hut, "I haven't had time to visit Hagrid yet."

"We've got Care of Magical creatures tomorrow," said Ron. "We can have a spot of tea with dear old Grawp, lets just make sure we bring _Hermy _along."

-~*~-

"Welcome all of yeh, there's a certain creature I wanted ter get started on fer the NEWT examinations—I assure you, it's completely safe," Hagrid added at Draco's horrified expression. Harry elbowed Ron and mumbled,

"Why did Draco take this class anyways?"

"I dunno…maybe he was forced?" Draco was one of the only Slytherins, among with Beasley Smith, and Prudence Hargery, two exchange students from Durmstrang, who were horrified at having a half-giant as an instructor. 

Hagrid walked into his hut, emerging with a large cage, covered with a velvety red material. Harry, Ron, and Hermione crowded around it, while the rest of the class backed away. He lifted the material, and it made Hermione say 'Oooh,' and dance on her toes with enthusiasm.

"This is marvelous Hagrid, how did you get one?" She said, poking at the baby phoenix with admiration.

"It wasn't another drunk deal, was it?" Asked Harry, grinning.

"Nah," and he laughed nervously, and then lowered his voice so only the trio could hear. "Harry, do you think you could take her for me after this lesson?" Hagrid asked.

-~*~-

"Is that ruddy bird ever going to leave your shoulder?" Asked Ron, as Hermione, Ron, and Harry walked down the corridor. "Ouch!" Ron's hand covered his nose, which had just been pecked by the phoenix, that Harry had named Isis.

"Honestly Ron, you're as bad as Draco, insulting it like that."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Harry rolled his eyes as they both continued to argue down the hallway, and even continued to do so while Harry opened the Defense Against the Dark Arts room for them. Hermione and Ron bickered as they sat in their seats, until Professor Craigan had come in, at which Hermione had said, "Shut up, Ron!" Silencing the redhead.

"Hello again! Raise your hands if you're not here. Good, now lets get started." Craigan had sorted out partners, and ended up sorting Harry with Draco. At Harry's terrified expression, Craigan said, "I take it you two have had some rows? Well, try to get along in this lesson, because I charmed this paper the pair up the people who work best with the other."

This only greatened Harry's horrified look.

To Harry's surprise, there had been no death threats from Draco, and Harry found that he was relatively pleasant when his mouth didn't open, unless to say a spell that didn't cause any harm. 

"Ten points to both Gryffindor and Slytherin," said Craigan as he studied their progress. Harry had managed to put Draco into a wheezing coughing fit and vice-versa, which had made Isis flutter her wings about in worry. Craigan reversed the spell, and gave them each a glass of water.

-~*~-

"Wonderful, Potter!" Said McGonagall as Harry had successfully turned a Chair into a shoe and back again. "There was even a brand name! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Isis cooed happily, nipping Harry's ear. They were currently changing inanimate objects into other inanimate objects, and Harry had accomplished it in one try.

Hermione had changed her Earmuffs into a decorative plate, and Ron had changed his matchbox into a …tea bag box. McGonagall was still pleased with everyone's progress, and by the end of class, fifty points had been awarded to Gryffindor, and thirty-five to Hufflepuff.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, come here please." They both walked up to her, and Ron asked,

"What'd I do?"

"Besides being the full time captain of the quidditch team, nothing Ron."

"So Dumbledore agreed?"

"_Professor _Dumbledore, Mr. Potter," Harry blushed, "and yes, he did agree. In fact, he was all for it."

"Great!" Said Harry.

"However, you may want to pick out teams, quidditch is going to be started soon."

Harry said, "Okay Professor."

-~*~-

I can't believe I have 60 reviews! I'm planning on fixing up my first chapter, so I can get more people to read it. I always update my fic earlier than the date ROFL; maybe I just won't put dates up anymore. By the way: I'm moving to another house sometime in October, so during that time, don't expect daily updates then.

RadarPLO- Tanka Blanka (My weird way of saying thank you) Je le prends que vous ne parlez pas français?

Cdunwody-You see, I thought of Spanish for a while, and it's easier, but I can't roll my R's, and that is a delicate thing in the Spanish world. Besides, one of my teachers said I had a French tongue. :)

LILRKCHIK-*does the Booger Dance*

Ginnygal189-*does the Booger Dance: The Remix*


	10. Back to Classes

                Ah, 65 reviews. Life is sweet. Then again, so are all of you. Hey Hillary, thanks for reading my fic. :) Tell Seth I love him, and he is a sexy muffin. (Hahaha!) Anyways, next chapter deals with a detention with Draco and Harry and quidditch practice, I'm not going to give too many spoilers. 

-~*~-

By the next week, Harry had no trouble whatsoever performing curses and spells…and it only took him about an hour to finish all of his homework every night. Quidditch had finally started, and it was as normal was any other quidditch practice. Harry and Ron sorted throughout the try-outs.

"Okay, which one of you would like to try first?" Asked Harry.

Ginny, Seamus, and a girl whose head was covered by a hood raised their hands.

"Er, alright, you three can try,"

Harry and Ron were both astonished by Ginny, and the girl in the hood. It was until the girl's hood blew off from a gust of wind that Ron and Harry had both exclaimed,

"Hermione?!"

Hermione blushed a bright red color, and Ron's mouth nearly hit the floor. (Harry's jaw didn't hit the ground, but he looked just as intelligent as Ron, with his mouth gaping like a fish.)

As Hermione flew downwards, she nearly leaped into the castle, and her face could've fried an egg.

"Wow," Ron had breathed. Seamus was okay as a chaser, but Ron figured he would've made a much better beater.

"Seamus…I want you to try your beating skills here with…Oh hey there Dean, I didn't know you were here. Okay, Seamus and Dean, you both try as beaters."

They turned out to be excellent as a team; only one bludger flew off course, but even then, they reared backwards and the bludger soared through one of the hoops. Ron and Harry didn't see Hermione all day, but the finally did, and when she tried to disappear again, Harry and Ron blocked her.

"Why didn't you tell us you were that good?" Asked Ron.

"I…wha--well—Ginny and I…practiced and er—GOD, RON, DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE IN MY FACE ALL THE TIME?"

"Well, gee Hermione, I was giving you a _compliment _there, and I was wondering if you would like to be on the team."

Hermione blushed. "Oh, er…thank you then. It's just that I have put off a lot of classes and I don't have nearly as much homework as I did last year and all and that—"

"Hermione, you're rambling."

"Oh, sorry."

Finally, after a hard and tiring week, it was Saturday, and about time to visit Hagrid, and Isis had finally taken to staying in the owlery. He used her to send a letter if there was more than one, he didn't want to leave Hedwig out, but Isis was enthusiastic with every job, and jumped out the window with each opportunity.

Lupin had practically fallen in love with Isis.

_Dear Harry,_

_I can't believe Hagrid gave you a phoenix! And it's a very rare breed, too. What's her name? She's a marvelous bird, Harry…_

Harry, naturally having a bad day, chanted, "Bugger bugger bugger…oh hey, Ron, Hermione, bugger bugger…."

"Harry, wait a moment, where were you?"

"Oh, you know, having my very unfortunate bad luck. I officially don't believe in karma, because I have done nothing to deserve this."

"Deserve what?"

"Nothing. Listen, I'm going to get changed and get back down there to eat breakfast. Then I'll get out on to the quidditch pitch. Good luck Hermy."

Hermione pursed her lips. "What? Is Hermione too many syllables for your thick skull? Do you have the mentality of Grawp?"

"No, I have just chosen it as your new nickname. Ron's the one who has the mentality of good ol' Grawp."

"I resent that!"

Harry laughed and disappeared down the corridor.

Harry ran into Luna on the way. "Oh, hey there Luna." She kind of stared at him, though looking slightly depressed. "What's wrong?"

"Oh…nothing…" said Luna in a dreamy sort of tone.

"You can tell me. What ever your problem is, I can probably assure you, I've had worse."

"It was…er…Cho…" Harry's head snapped back to attention.

"What'd she do this time? Drown you by crying? I wouldn't put it past her."

"Well…she…first of all I was reading The Quibbler, and told me that none of it was real, and of course, it is, but after that she ripped it up and called it rubbish. I think she was doing it to impress her boyfriend, Zabini…"

"She's got _another_ boyfriend? A _Slytherin?" _Harry asked, exasperated.

"And what's wrong with that, Potter?" Harry was expecting the voice to come from a cold, leering voice, like Draco's, instead it came out sort of pinched and nasally.

"I can think of plenty of reasons." Said Harry coolly.

Zabini sneered, and said, "Loony and Potty, what a perfect couple." Before he stalked off. Luna blushed, which surprised Harry as she seemed to be light and uncaring of insults half of the time.

"I'm going to er—go now, thanks for talking to me," before Luna floated off. Harry felt sort of lonely for a moment, but remembered he had quidditch practice, went and grabbed his broom, and ran back to the Grand Hall. 

-~*~-

Now time to thank all my special reviewers. :) I luff you all, le muffinettes. 

RadarPLO- Mais c'est tellement amusement pour le frotter dedans! Vous savez l'amour juste de I vous parce que vous êtes un critique fantastical qui mérite un bon nombre de torture. (MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !)

LILRKCHIK- YAY ! Brownies !

Cut^punk-Hey Ivy, yes, Harry probably would get an outstanding, because he is all special and all. Anyways, thank you bunches, and call me :D

Cdunwody-What did I do that you didn't want??! GAH! I'M A FAILURE!

Tata! –lots of luff, kels-


	11. Occlumency

                Harry sped at a rocketing speed towards the ground, reaching his hand out for the snitch. The team had worked extraordinarily well together. Harry was fairly surprised to find that Colin Creevey had tried out, and had gotten the spot. Harry didn't think he was the best on the team, but he was a fair player.

"We are so going to win the cup this year!" Harry heard Ron shout, as he grabbed the snitch in four minutes since the start of the game.

They had walked back to the castle, and Ron was beaming at every one of them, then he had started to jabber, and wonder if his dad was rich enough to buy him a firebolt yet. 

Harry rolled his eyes and let him talk.

-~*~-

"Welcome back Potter," Snape said.

"Pleasure," Harry spat. Then quickly added, _"Sir."_

The occlumency lessons went normally, until…

"Dammit Potter, concentrate!"

"I'm trying!"

"TRY HARDER!"

"I've tried hard enough already! Isn't it over yet?"

"Just because you're an arrogant prat like your father…"

"SHUT UP ABOUT MY FATHER!"

"You're no different! You're arrogant, you're stupid, and the only one you care about is yourself."

"Damn you Snape!" Harry was livid, and his face was contorted in pure anger. He took a desk and threw it across the room. "I'm tired of this!" 

He then grabbed a jar full of what looked like pickled tentacles and bombarded the chalkboard with the several jars of them. 

"I was told that I'm the only stupid person that can defeat Voldemort, and I don't want it! I don't want the damn fame; I don't want the stupid fortune, and I don't care about myself!" Harry was rambling. After so many months and weeks, this had all built onto his chest. Harry's feeling felt clogged, as he never chose to express them. Snape looked calm as he quietly observed Harry's yelling. "I'd probably go and do something stupid trying to save somebody, then end up getting them killed, but I care about myself."

"If I didn't have the freaking world piled on my shoulders, I'd commit suicide, so that more people wouldn't die on my behalf! Everybody I've seen dead so far was _my _fault, yes, but I still don't care about only myself." Said Harry as he continued to ramble.

"Really now?"

Harry's rage grew to an astonishing limit as he caused every window and jar to crack, and then explode in a shatter of glass; he caused every desk to nearly disintegrate, and the cauldron pegs to melt and sizzle. 

"I'd trade my life to be normal for _one_ day." Said Harry, and he was about ready to storm away, until Snape started clapping.

"Bravo, Potter."

Harry stared blankly at him.

"That's controlling your power, when you're able to avoid certain things of your own free will, and when you're able to fix the problem. Even the best wizards can't control their emotions at times, and though I hate complimenting you, seeing as how insulting you awhile ago was a lot of fun, you did it perfectly Potter."

"So…you didn't mean what you said?" Harry asked, dumbfounded.

"Well…I was serious about the stupid part," said Snape. "An idiot could notice that you would run blindly into a snake's mouth, if you knew a friend was in its stomache."

"Then er…sorry about..." Said Harry.

"Don't say sorry, it's fixed for one, and Dumbledore said if anything of mine was broken, he'd give me an added bonus." Said Snape. "Come to think of it…your welcome to blow up my class room again." 

Harry betrayed his hatred of Snape for a moment and laughed, but managed to turn in into a hacking cough. "Er…bye then," he said awkwardly, and hurriedly left Snape's classroom.

-~*~-

"I think Snape was just in a good mood," said Ron.

"Maybe he's turning over a new leaf." Commented Hermione.

Ron snorted. "Not again with your girly 'world peace' theories."

Harry unconsciously looked over at the calendar, looking for the next crescent moon date, as it was now November. The Hogsmeade trip had been uneventful; Harry met up with the twins while they shipped some items there to Lee Jordan, and got a few Trojan Teacups. Another new shop called 'Dragon's Hide' had made its way into the Hogsmeade area, and it was a gigantic hit. Famous celebrities played there, such as the Weird Sisters.

"What are you looking at Harry?" 

"Oh…nothing…"

"Why are we always left in the dark?"

"You're not left in the dark," said Harry.

"Tell us what's been going on lately, or I'll curse you." Ron threatened.

"No. You're both my best friends, but I highly doubt you'd understand, and if you did understand, you would both start pussy-footing around me, telling me it'll all be okay, so quiet frankly, I don't want to tell anybody about my issues." Harry yawned, and looked blearily into Hermione and Ron's mildly stunned faces. "I'm going up to bed." 

He then trumped up the stairs to his dorm. He grabbed the snitch Hermione had given him from the bottom of his trunk, and started to let it go, and catch it again wondering why his father found it entertaining. He continued, though, so he had something to concentrate on. Taeli cooed happily, and Harry, not wanting an audience, stopped, and snatched the snitch for one last time. He took a deep breath and thunked his head against the brick wall and fiddled with the snitches wings, but as he looked forward, the familiar person he had known for only a few years seemed to materialize out of the air.

The man's body glimmered slightly, as though a projection image, and Harry's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"S-Sirius?"

-~*~-

Oh I feel evil. If I were you, I'd hate me for this evil cliffie.

Well, I'm too tired to respond to all the reviewers, I'll mention ya in the next chapter.


	12. Sirius?

                Sirius looked confused. "You can see me?" Sirius asked incredulously. "I thought Dumbledore was the only one who could…"

Harry let go of the snitch, mouth agape. It didn't seem to want to move_. Harry_ didn't seem as though he wanted to move. 

"Y-y-you w-where…"

"Harry…"

"You were dead! You came after me, because I fell for Voldemort's trick, and you d-died on me!"

"I'm sorry Harry," said Sirius.

"Why did you let Bellatrix trick you?" Harry felt delirious, and most of what he wanted to say wouldn't make sense. "You weren't supposed to die, and Lupin wouldn't let me get you!"

"I had no choice, Harry, I'm sorry, and if you went behind the veil you would've died too!"

Harry tried to touch Sirius, to get the slightest sign that he was real—

"I'm hallucinating." Harry concluded as his hand went straight through Sirius. He covered his ears with his hands and started rocking back and fourth. "Every time this happens you're never real…you're a figment of my imagination…"

"Harry," this was a different voice, a deeper one, like Harry's own. He took a peek though the cracks between his fingers and saw his father next to Sirius. And His mother next to him. His mother's shiny red hair shimmered lightly, making her look exactly like Ginny or Mrs. Weasley.

"Is…is this another one of Voldemort's sick jokes?" Harry choked, as he gulped in a new wave of tears. "Why can't he just leave me alone?"

(AN:This is the sappiest chapter I have ever produced…ick…)

"I don't know how you can see us, we've been following you around, you see, and we've only got a week longer that we're allowed here," said James. James wished that he could have the slightest warmth radiating from his son, but he felt nothing, and had trouble keeping his face straight. Sirius put a translucent hand on his shoulder, and Lily was crying freely.

"Until what?"

"Until we have to go back to the afterworld, Harry. We can come again every year, to check up on our loved ones, but we're bound to the afterlife."

Harry drew a trembling breath. "I have nobody left…" He concluded, looking out the window. "Except for Lupin…and the Dursley's want nothing to do with me…"

Harry now _was _delirious, forgetting his parents were there as he said those things.

"Harry, sweetie," it was his mother's voice. His mother had a slightly harmonious tone to her voice, as though she were singing when she wasn't. "We—we didn't want to leave you. Your father and I fought all the way up," she smiled lightly, as though recalling the memory. "But when we saw the green flash, we were waiting for you to come up with us, but you didn't, and that's how we knew your were still alive. And that you would grow up to be a healthy, wonderful, and special man." She tried to touch Harry's head, but her hand only went through him, and she lost her smile.

Harry then realized that this wasn't Voldemort's trick; they were his real parents…not necessarily living and breathing…just translucent images, but his _real _parents. Harry could've cried. He wanted to hug them, but he knew he couldn't.

He saw anguish in his mother's eyes, from not being able to touch her own son, worry in Sirius's eyes, probably from Harry breaking down, and another anguished look from his father.

"I—I…"

"How about we talk about something else?" James interjected.

Harry nodded, betraying how he felt. He wanted to sob, he wanted to cry, he wanted to yell at them for leaving him—but he smiled for them, and thought of a different topic already. One that he hoped would make them all laugh, one that would leave old and tormenting memories behind.  "How did you and mom get together, anyways?"

Sirius whispered to James, "Harry looked into Snape's pensieve during our OWLS."

James winced with a glance towards Lily. "Well,"

"Once your father's head swelled down about ten times, and he stopped teasing Snape, he was actually bearable," said Lily. Harry and Sirius both snickered.

                -~*~-

"I feel like I'm in the movie _The Sixth Sense,"_ commented Harry. "I see dead people…"

"What?" Asked Sirius blankly.

"Muggle movie." He got a weird look from both James and Sirius. "What? They're entertaining when you've got nothing else to do."

Lily nodded, "he has a point, you know."

Harry was walking down to Charms, and his parents and Sirius were following him. (A/N: About time I mentioned Charms. I think this story is getting confusing. Please say you're still following me, lol)

Lily was frowning. "Did you brush your hair?" She asked, completely off topic. (I mean, really, why would she be talking about Harry's hair while Harry's talking about _The Sixth Sense_? Because you've got a screwy author, that's why.)

"I gave up a long time ago, as there is nothing I can do to get it to lie flat," said Harry.

Lily looked pointedly at James. "You've ruined our son's hair!"

-~*~-

"Can anybody tell us what a Vigilarius spell is, and how to produce it?"

Ron mumbled to Harry, "The midget speaks!"

Harry snorted, and James and Sirius snickered behind him. Their feet were floating slightly above the ground, and if they moved, they seemed to propel slightly like a balloon wafting across a pool.

Harry lazily raised his hand.

"The Vigilarius spell is a spell that apparates objects, instead of yourself. You wave you hand and flick, saying  'apparere' and then say the name of the object you would like to appear." Said Harry lethargically.

"Smarter than you, James." Sirius commented. James elbowed him. (As much as air can elbow other air, anyways)

"Very good Mr. Potter, ten points to Gryffindor. Hermione put her hand down, looking slightly crestfallen, but smiled admiringly at Harry.

"What've you been doing Harry, studying?" asked Ron. "Have you actually gone to the library of your own free will? My friend has gone mad!"

Harry snorted. "Nope, no library visiting, I just got a lot of books over the summer, and I needed something to do," Harry shrugged at Ron's horrified look. "What? I wasn't too keen one watching dust bunnies float by the whole summer. I would've played quidditch, but I live in a muggle-inhabited area, you see."

"But still—you _read?"_

"Yup."

Ron shuddered and Hermione shoved him. "I think it's wonderful, good for you Harry."

"Only an elf-worshipper like you would think so," said Ron.

"I would like all of you to try apparating an object here; you might want to try something that's not important to you, because people tend to only get bits and pieces of the object they're trying to apparate," said Professor Flitwick pleasantly.

The classroom was filled with many unsuccessful shouts of 'apparere doll!' Or 'apperere parchment!'

"Apperere snitch!" Said Harry, his first try, and the sparkling golden snitch appear in his right hand. Professor Flitwick looked thoroughly surprised. 

"Very good, Mr. Potter, let's add another twenty points to Gryffindor!"

Harry looked disinterestedly out the window.

-~*~-

Harry had to say goodbye to his parents for a whole year. He had only recently started seeing them, a week ago, and they had to leave him. Again. Harry wanted to scream and cry—this wasn't just! It wasn't fair, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even hug them goodbye. Not being able to hug his parents depressed him more than not ever being able to see them again. Harry told Sirius how sorry he was, Harry told his parents that he loved them, they all told him to be good for Remus, and surprisingly enough, Lily told him to be good with the Dursley's.

"You have to put up with those prunes for only one more year, might as well be good for them, then you can curse them a billion times over."

Harry grinned. As they waved, a pearly white tear made it's way down Harry's cheek, disappearing under his chin, but he felt better saying the things he needed to say to his parents. He was able to tell Sirius how sorry he was for falling for Voldemort's trick, and Sirius didn't blame Harry, he blamed himself. Harry told Sirius 'nonsense' as it was Harry's fault he was there in the first place. Then an argument took place until Lily stopped them. 

-~*~-

Harry was walking towards the Whomping Willow right before the sun set. It was nearing December, and a fresh silvery blanket of pearly, milky-white snow was sprawled across the grass. Harry's feet crunched under him, and Harry hugged his cloak tighter as a gust of cold air blasted his cheeks, making them turn pink, and making his nose run wildly. Harry continued to meander, and didn't realize the sky becoming a midnight black.

Feet crunching under him, Harry ran towards the building. Harry skidded to a halt as he found himself next to Draco.

"What are you doing here?" They both asked simultaneously.

"Well er…" said Harry intelligently.

"None of your business," retorted Draco casually, flicking invisible dust of his sleeve.

"Potter! Malfoy!" Professor Sprout walked out of an open door to their left. "Since you're out here a little late for the headmaster's tastes, you will both be assisting me in the Forbidden Forest."

"I—b-but!" Harry stuttered. Malfoy glared at Harry, as though thinking it was all Harry's fault he got caught. (Which is probably what he _was _thinking.)

"No ifs, ands or buts, you're both in detention with me."

They both groaned.

_Why is it always me? _Harry and Draco both thought.

-~*~-

::Screams:: AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! 80 REVIEWS! OMGOMGOMG! I'm going to scream…oh wait, already did ^_^

UnicornSpirit-I do hope you know I used a translator, cause I'm a cheater ^_^ unfortunately, I can't take French lessons now, because I got a C in English comp. _ I hate grammer, but I love to write stories. Go figure.

Slim5-Thank ya. :)

FishofTime-Thank you as well.

Cut6-Hey Hil, and thanks to you too! ;) You better get started on your story, or I'll kick you at school—IN English comp class. (Haha, you were banned from kicking in there!) –Sighs- life is so entertaining.

Wadeki-Thank you!!

Magicrules-MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-breaths-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! –curses you into oblivion first- OH WAIT, MY LOVELY REVIEWER! –gasp-

Cdunwody-I know what you mean. –Tries desperately to lift a ten pounder-

Ginnygal189-hahahahahaha

Pinkflamingoes-I don't use my e-mail :) but thankies :D

RadarPLO-I used a translater. You're Spanish was useless. But!-lemme say this: No habla Esapnol! Habla Englasa! (sorry for spelling =P)

Hphgrw0108-Thanks :)


	13. Detention

                Draco shoved past Harry, and went to the Slytherin common room, and Harry retreated to the Gryffindor tower, storming angrily. He would be stuck in the Forbidden Forest with Draco. Things couldn't possibly get worse. Harry finally got to sleep, only to be awoken three hours later by McGonagall, saying he was to serve his detention.

"If you don't mind me asking, I would like to know why you have a detention."

Harry shrugged. McGonagall's lips tightened. "Alright then, to detention you go then, Mr. Potter, if you're going to be all secretive." Harry sighed, and grabbed an old pair of robes, and walked down to the entrance. Draco and Professor Sprout stood their waiting. Draco's eyes were puffy and red, and his white blonde hair was tousled, his robes crooked, but Professor Sprout stood there cheerful and brisk.

She took a picture from her pocket and showed it to them. It looked like a spindly bright violet flower, with yellow venomous looking thorns poking in every direction. The flower was coated in red spots as well. The picture showed a dead monarch butterfly on the ground next to the flower, and other butterflies were in a flock around it, as if mourning over their dead colleague. Harry wasn't so sure about this…

"Don't look so scared, Potter. The mino plutonium flower is not poisonous to humans, but you still don't want to touch the thorns…nasty side affects, there are, anyhow, you are to follow me, no wondering too far, and you are to bring me back five of those flowers, each of you.

She discussed the rules, and Harry found himself tuning out. Draco's eyes were unfocused and blazed, and his head nodded as if agreeing with Sprout, but Harry thought the nodding was really from lack of sleep.

She led them into the menacing forest, and Harry heard a werewolf howl to his left. Draco shuddered next to him.

"This is all your fault, Potter." Draco hissed.

"My fault?" Harry said. "You're the one who was wondering around the castle for no reason…"

"Oh, and you had a reason?"

"Of course I did!"

"And what was it?"

"Er…"

"Exactly."

"Moron…" Harry mumbled. Harry heard Draco next to him mutter, "prat…"

They were barely even searching for the flower as they argued. Suddenly, they realized that they had lost Sprout.

"Professor?" Harry asked, only hearing a hoot of an owl, and a rustling noise, followed by a drawing breath.

_Thump._

"Professor Sprout?"

_Rustle. Crack. _A sucking noise, like a vacuum cleaner was behind Harry and Draco.

Draco's face turned stark white.

"What are you doing Potter? Because it isn't humorous the slightest bit."

"I'm not doing anything," said Harry, feeling slightly shaky.

A screech, like fingernails across a blackboard. Harry turned around, and only saw the leaves. But the leave looked distorted—the whole area looked distorted, as though he were sanding in a crystal ball.

Suddenly, several cloaked figures popped from the trees, they were shorter than dementors and wore deep purple robes, one shade away from black. They had deep blotches in them that Harry suspected was blood.

Harry felt himself screaming himself hoarse. The pain was even worse than the pain the clown had brought him.

He blacked out finally, and Draco was left alone. Draco cast a sneer at Harry's fallen body. Draco had barely felt anything. He muttered, "Jupengotona!" and a weird flash of light covered the area. The trees had blocked all light from the creatures, and the things screeched from the blinding flare. Draco dragged Harry over to a clearing of trees. Draco pointed his wand at Harry's heart and muttered, "Ennervate," but Harry's eyes didn't open. Draco cursed at the sky, but no answer returned to him.

"Why me?" Draco asked.

-~*~-

Harry sputtered, and coughed. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I feel like I've been hit by the night bus," he muttered, sitting up. Harry felt woozy, and his head couldn't catch up with him. "What were those things?"

"They're called dementras," said Draco simply. "Female dementors. They bring out all the pain that you've ever experienced in life, and release it in one blow. Of course, we now know we're nowhere _near Sprout, as you screamed bloody murder forever. Dang, Potter," Draco said incredulously. "Anyways, please excuse me while I go wash out my mouth."_

Harry looked confused at Draco's last statement.

Draco rolled his eyes again. "Think, Potter," he sneered. "You were unconscious and _enervate_ didn't work."

Harry got a disgusted look on his face as it dawned on him. "Urg—Draco, couldn't you've left me unconscious?"

"Unfortunately, no, as I need your help getting out of here."

After washing out their mouths in a river nearby, (very thoroughly, I might add, as this isn't a slash story) they explored the area. Soon enough, they met up with a great stone basin full of blue mist. Harry was enticed by it…it was a peculiar shade of blue…Harry had an urge to poke it. Draco was as interested as Harry.

They both touched it at the same moment, and Harry felt a tug behind his navel as he was thrust forward. It felt as though he were traveling by portkey. Harry hoped this wasn't another one of Voldemort's plans. He always comes up with new and interesting ways to kill Harry—what next, evil karate-chopping bunny rabbits?

Harry and Draco landed roughly onto a wooden dock, and people were scattering about. They wore mainly rags and jewels. The people all looked strangely like—

"Pirates?" Draco said incredulously.  Some large, burly Viking-like man picked up Harry and Draco by the scruff of their robes. "They still exist?"

"What do we gots here?" He said, talking through the side of his mouth. "You two scallywags wizards? Yeh'd be useful, ye would. Get on the ship," he demanded roughly; pointing to a greasy wooden ship, mold coming out of windows, and the sail had yellow splotches.

"I'm not getting on that piece of—" 

Harry interrupted Draco.

"Of course, Mr…uh…"

"Schwarmlygidden," the pirate said.

"Mr. S," Harry said, not wanting to pronounce his name.

"No," said the pirate. "Schwarmlygidden." (Damn, that's going to be annoying to type.)

"Er…right. Do you have a first name…?"

"Yes." Harry looked thankful. "It's Schwarmlygidden."

Harry groaned. Draco and Harry were both tossed on the boat like fish. Another pirate, his air greasier than Snape's, tossed Harry a bucket with green tinted water and barely any soap—and gave him a black towel. Harry's nose wrinkled. The man tossed Draco another one. Just as Draco was about to protest, Harry covered his mouth.

"Draco, I know you've probably never done labor in your life, but trust me when I saw this; you do not want to mess with these guys," said Harry. Draco nodded solemnly.

They both spent the night scrubbing the slime-covered deck, until they took a break as the pirates were sleeping. They looked out into the blackened sea, and to the full moon.

"So…what do you think that basin was?" Asked Harry, finally.

"I don't know," said Draco. "I think we just went back in time somehow..."

"Oh…" said Harry. Harry looked around. There was no land; they'd been traveling for six hours now. Six hours of scrubbing a slimy deck. Harry's hands were pruned, and white-hot pain was shooting up and down Harry's arms. This was going to be a long trip.

-~*~-

LILRKCHIK-No, I haven't read your fanfic yet, sorry, I read about a million a day ^_^

-sighs- I'm tired….-plays video game-


	14. A Brand New Adventure

**Author's notes: **I HAVE REACHED MY GOALLLL! 100 reviews! OMG! I'm going to faint. This is so awesome! I was going to have the whole trip in one chapter, rofl, but I figured I have skipped too many scenes. Please, don't be rude when reviewing my stories, or other stories for that matter, as I will bite your head off. Thank you to all the nice reviewers that made my day. Poo to all those rude people that ruined my sun-shiny day. Stick your attitudes where the sun doesn't shine. I saw Duplex, it was an awesome and hilariousfull movie! I went to see it with a friend (thanks Hillary!!) and came back all happy. Then I worked on my English report. Happy days. Ta ta!

-~*~-

Harry and Draco had both fallen asleep, hugging their mops. That is, until a thick whip was brandished across their backs. Harry cried out in pain, Draco clenched his teeth, holding back the all to familiar cuss word.

"Get up, we can't have you young'uns asleep on the job," He laughed. His laugh was haughty, and came out as a "Hawr hawr hawr." 

He tossed each of them a sword. "Do you twos know hows ta' sword fight?"

They shook their heads no.

"I'll have Gregory teach you," he said, gazing out over the ocean. "You're going to need it, for once we get the artifact from The Lost City of Atlantis, we will have millions of Atlantican people after our hides."

"Er…"

"Gregory!" Shouted the pirate.

"Yes, Jack?"

"Teach these scallywags how ter fight," Vermondoiler said, gesturing towards the teenagers.

Gregory nodded. They walked into a bare dungeon. It had a cold and eerie feel upon its walls…it felt as though several people had died in here…__

"Have either of you ever held a sword?" Harry nodded his head yes, as Draco did the opposite.

"I defeated a basilisk with one, but I don't really know how to use a sword," said Harry. Gregory slowly nodded his head, wondering what a basilisk was.

The lessons went by fast; the day changed to night very quickly as Draco and Harry quickly became experts. Harry was a swirl of his cloak and sword, bringing it up clashing, sending sparks flying from the impact. Draco was the same, only a tad slower.

They did this for the next few days, relentlessly. Harry and Draco were as resilient as a rubber ball. If they fell down, they got back up, and tried to thrust the sword into the other's stomach, and would be blocked.

Draco leaned onto the wall, arms crossed and sword was thrust into the wood. Harry and Gregory were dueling with sword, and Harry had pretty much mastered the use in a short amount of time. It had only been two days, after all, and they were somewhere in the middle of the sea.

Gregory looked both astonished and thoroughly pleased with his pupil as Harry knocked the sword out of his hand. The sword landed right next to Draco's head. Draco looked about read to pass out on the spot. Harry shouted,

"Sorry 'bout that ferret!"

"Yeah…no problem…er…insufferable Gryffindor." Draco was wide eyed as he said the first part of the statement, and unenthusiastically retaliated Harry's insult. They had insulted each other back and forth through out the trip, but were really beginning to admire each other—even though neither of them would _ever _admit it.

Harry drew his wand and made the sword float back to its owner. Gregory had confined in them that he was a squib, so he did not find this odd at all.

Gregory had taken the wand, and gestured for Draco to train. Harry leaned against the wall Draco had been, and disinterestedly watched Draco and Gregory leaning into each other menacingly with their swords.

"Are ye two done yet?" Shouted a lanky pirate with a long, braided black beard. He had a huge mass of stolen diamond and pearl necklaces draped over his neck. (A/N: Bling bling!)

"Yes, take 'em already!" Shouted Gregory. The other pirate told Draco and Harry to 'get their scrawny buttocks up there, as there was work to be done.' 

Harry and Draco had to wash the ship—Draco had mumbled about it the whole time—and taken look out duties, fixed a hole in the sail—Draco screamed the whole way, the ship kept rocking and nearly knocked him off the net—they washed the windows, polished the pirate's boots, and somehow managed to finish it all by nighttime, at which they had finally fallen asleep, only to be awoken three hours later. They grumbled and rubbed their eyes, pulled up their boots, and walked out of their nook, wondering what all the commotion was.

They found that they didn't want to know what the commotion was.

It was a massive storm.

-~*~-

Sorry, short chappie, I had a lot of reviews to reply to. And sorry for the cliffie, new chapter up soon!

LILRKCHIK-yes, I know, I have never been good with names. Thank you, however :)

Sami-if it helps, I usually bite my fingernails off. ;) Thanks!

Cdunwody- I like pirates. ;)

Kemenran- okie dokie

Magicrules- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Hushykid3-actually, I was going to make them get along, lol. Don't kill me! –cringes- Not that I like Malfoy, something just happened to him over the summer that made him more timid. You'll find out what it was soon.

Khenna-Thank you!

Kaizer Knucks-Thanks….  
  


Athenia McGonagall- I'll take that as a compliment? (Is too lazy to go look up on translator)

Clare-I'm glad to know my humor spreads.

Insanegurlrox-Thanks!

Star Estrella- Thank you!

Keebler Elmo-Know what, dumbass? I do think the co-captains thing was slightly juvenile, but Hermione has NEVER said she hated brooms, for one, and for too, did you notice how embarrassed she was about the tryouts? She went as far as to wear a hood. Have you ever tried covering up that you liked something? Probably have. If you haven't, you're unbearable weird. And rude. I have worked hard on this fan-fiction, I do not freaking like to be put down. I thought of being nice, and decided against it. You could have said something like, 'you should edit the co-captains thing and Hermione as a flyer,' but nooo, you have to go and be a dipstick about it. Also, have you noticed that quidditch hasn't been Harry's main thing anymore? Sure, he likes quidditch, but with Voldemort running around, it isn't Harry's main priority anymore. Ron DOESN'T get everything he wants; he was always a step behind his brothers, stupid, and he wanted to b recognized. Harry DOESN'T want to be recognized. They weren't surprised at how he looked because they already SAW him, so why would they. And what, would another student just go up to him and say, 'you look different.' I don't think so. Things may be different where you live, but not down here. Typically, if I were to buy new makeup, most people wouldn't say anything. Get a life, and be more respectful towards other stories, as you are a loser who has written none.

RadarPLO-He tried to complain, but Harry stopped him. ;)

Crater212- We all need fillers sometimes. Fillers are the things that make stories go round. You find out that the thing wasn't a pensieve after all anyways, so it doesn't matter. Note: Draco said 'I **_think _**it's a pensievia.'


	15. Massive Storm

**Author's note: **And the reviews keep piling!! This is absolutely amazing! I probably wouldn't be able to think of a word to describe my happiness with the success of my story. It would have been a blessing to me to get 10 reviews, but I end up with over 100! On top of that, I made the duet for Seize the Moment, an Honor's choir song. What makes it even cooler is that it is a lot tougher to make a solo where you're in honor's choir, because everybody is just as good as you are. So I have been really happy this past week. Thanks to all of you who have made my day. (Minus the stupid git, Keebler Elf.)

-~*~-

"Harry! Get up there and fix the sail!" Shouted a pirate with his hair in sloppy braids.

"Yes, Sylvester," Harry puffed, already running towards the sail. It had twisted around one of the poles, and was fluttering uselessly. Sylvester was about the only pirate with a normal name on the ship.

Harry couldn't see well enough to get it untangled, so he said, "Lumos!" stuck his wand in his mouth, and cut through the ropes binding the sail to the large wooden pole with a dagger a pirate had given him. 

A huge gust of air nearly knocked Harry off, and Harry had lost his foot's grip on the net. He was dangling there from his arms as the gushing wind continued to blow. 

A man fell off the ship, tumbling relentlessly into the thrashing ocean below. Harry saw this, and hung to the net one handed, as he waved his wand he levitated the man back to the ship, wrapped his foot inside the net, and continued to rip through the bindings.

Inanimate objects that weren't attached to the ship swayed forwards and backwards as the ship bobbed in the middle of the blackened sea.

"Yes!" Harry shouted as the mass was free and caused some wind resistance as it swayed back into place. (Bear with me here, I don't know much about ships. And what I do know about ships came from _The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyal, _and _Pirates of the Caribbean.) _

Harry slowly climbed down the net only to be bombarded with commands. 

"Try to get some water out of the ship with a bucket!"

"One of our men is unconscious! Can you use your magic-stick?"

Harry used _enervate _on the unconscious man, and used _ferula _on a man who had broken an arm as the wind flung him into a table. Draco wasn't anywhere to be seen, but Harry finally spotted him on the other side of the ship running in circles as he helped people.

Harry would've laughed if the situation weren't serious. (Not the person.) _Never thought I'd see the day where Draco willingly helped people, Harry_ thought to himself.

A few moments later, the storm had finally subsided to where it wasn't a threat. The pirates were cleaning up the damage as Harry and Draco retreated, but had gotten fifteen minutes of sleep be fore the ship's parrot, Black feather, named after Captain Blackbeard, had started to peck on their heads. Draco and Harry groaned groggily.

"Are we ever allowed to get some sleep on this bloody ship?" Asked Draco. Harry had another thought on his mind.

"Do you have any idea how we get back to our own time?" Asked Harry, pulling up his boots for the second time.

"Um…" Draco's face contorted as he tried to recall the memory. "I think I can remember something from the book, _Enforcing the Past."_

"I've read that book," Said Harry slowly, "While I was at Hogwarts. I don't think we necessarily went back in time. Sure, we're not in our time…but that basin wasn't a time-turner"

"Oh?" Said Draco. "Do tell me what you think it might be."

"Don't you think we found a goblet of some sort? I heard they had many uses…"

"You're sounding like Granger, Potter. Please be more interesting."

"Don't talk about my friends that way," Harry reprimanded. "Anyways, if it wasn't a goblet, I think I saw something in that book called _The Basin of Blue Mist…"_

Harry had no clue how he could remember this, but Harry could even recall the page number it was on. It was on page 212, four paragraphs down.

"Obviously. I mean, it _was_ a basin full of blue mist, wasn't it? Where the hell did you get the idea that it was a goblet from? I highly doubt goblets are that large."

"But the book said _The Basin of Blue Mist_ could only send certain people that were a crucial element to the past," said Harry, confused. "Why would _we _be important here?"

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING DOWN THERE?" Shouted Jack. Harry and Draco scrambled from their nook, onto the deck. The sky was a dull gray, and the sea matched its dreary, lackluster color. They then went down into the ship's dungeons, and met Gregory there.

Draco had even managed to knock the sword from Gregory's hand

"I must say, your accomplishments are truly miraculous," said Gregory. Harry wondered why his vocabulary was more advanced than the rest of the pirates. "I had mistaken you for weaklings as you entered the ship."

That ruined Draco and Harry's small, yet proud little moment.

"I am very impressed. Now, you must pick up the debris on the ship from last night."

They both groaned, and left the dungeon. As soon as they were finished with picking up the debris, another pirate shouted orders to them, until they ended up working all day.

"This," grunted Draco as he wiped sweat from his forehead, "bites."

"_Au Contraire, _Malfoy," said Harry. "Sharks bite. This is a living nightmare."

The sun had already poked through the clouds, and was giving both Harry and Draco sunburn.

"LAND HO!" shouted the lookout.

"Is it Atlantis?" Asked Schwarmlygidden, looking excited.

"Aye," replied the lookout, "It be Atlantis. It be only a smidgen of an island from here, but I know this land is Atlantis."

The Pirates cheered, and tears of joy streamed down their faces. Harry and Draco both raised their eyebrows. Apparently, crying wasn't a sign of male weakness in this time period, because these men were bawling and hugging each other like there was no tomorrow.

"Our perilous journey is almost complete!" Shouted another.

It was only about another week until they reached their destination, The Lost City of Atlantis.

-~*~-

RadarPLO-I know, isn't sword fighting the bomb?

Khenna-Thank ya ;)

LILRKCHIK-I know, the co-captain thing was a bit stupid rofl. I do like to be original though. I don't want to have all my ideas originate from what JK would do. I want people to see my style through my writing, not somebody else's style.

Thecorner- Thankies!

FishofTime- Arrg, you just may be right, lassie, arg. Double arg.

Ginnygal189- arg. ;) thanks!


	16. Atlantis

**Author's note: **Not much to type here, as I updated twice in one day. Love me. :)

**[/EDIT] **Minor errors that I'm fixing in this chapter. Thanks to David305 for helping me on the ship info (along with another of my stupid mistakes) I should have done more research on ships _

-~*~-

"Draco, don't be so tense! And Harry, lighter with the sword, you're going to snap it in half!"

Lichinstein made their training more advanced, by bringing two of the best sword fighters from the ship. The pirate that actually looked successful, not a smudge of dirt on his britches, was Harry's mentor, and a large, smelly pirate was Draco's. Draco had been thoroughly disappointed by this, but Lichinstein had told him that Harry's level was a little better than his, and Harry needed a mentor that could keep up with his skills. (Although this disgruntled Draco even further.)

Harry's mentor was named Nathaniel, originally brought up by a rich family, until his parents passed away, afterwards Nathaniel had joined his cousin on a pirate voyage, and stuck with them ever since. He was fairly skinny with long blonde hair tied back. Draco's was named Jackiel, even though the rest of the crew simply called him Jack. As Draco put it while he was talking to Harry, "he smelled of old gym socks…"

Nathaniel twisted around Harry, and as he did, Harry turned quickly as well, ready to block. Nathaniel surprised Harry by instead of thrusting at the stomach; he nicked Harry's cheek. Harry ignored this, and twisted Nathaniel's arm behind his back, and Harry held his sword against Nathaniel's throat.

"Good job, Harry," Nathaniel panted. Given Nathaniel's last lifestyle, he was very well educated compared to the rest of the pirates as well. 

Draco and Harry then proceeded towards the deck, and they heard pirates talking.

"Atlantis will be very difficult ter get to, for many whirlpools surround the island." Said the lookout, looking disgruntled.

"How 're we supposed to cross?" another one asked.

"We will have to try our best to dodge the whirlpools. Otherwise, we are likely to perish."

They finally made it to the whirlpools, and the captain swerved back and fourth, to make it through.

"Ack!" Cried Harry as he was flung to the other side of the ship. Draco was hanging on to the side of the deck for dear life, and the other pirates were either hanging on to the wall or the net. 

Luckily, the ship had successfully curved between the two whirlpools; the boat was just small enough to fit through them. The pirates had lowered greasy, moldy rowboats steadily into the water, and as they sailed through the sea, Harry was reminded of his first year at Hogwarts, when they sailed towards the school building.

Harry thought that Atlantis looked remarkable like a jungle, but it had a magical air to it. Adobe buildings were scattered in several spots around the jungle-like island, and odd creatures scuttled across the sand. A pirate grabbed Harry and Draco's arm, and walked into the jungle.

"Cabeza!" Shouted a muscular man, wearing an outfit made of what looked like buffalo skins. He was threatening a pointed stick at the three of them, saying, "Cabeza! Cabeza!" 

"What does that mean?" Asked Draco.

Harry frowned. "I think he's saying stop."

Another Atlantican being stepped out from the underbrush, and began talking in gibberish to the other person.

"Give me that," said the pirate crossly, unsheathing Harry's sword, and stabbing both of the Atlantican beings in the stomachs. The two men's eyes widened, as they crumpled to the floor. Harry yanked the sword from the pirate's hand.

"You didn't have to kill them!"

"They are barbarians, they do not matter to us."

"Just because they have a different culture doesn't mean they are barbarians!" Harry shouted.

The pirate punched Harry in the jaw, and Harry's neck cricked painfully in the other direction. "Learn your place. Would you like to join the barbarians?"

Harry said nothing, only straightened his back, and glared at the pirate in the eye.

The continued cutting through the jungle, and luckily didn't run into any more Atlanticans. Finally, the pirate led them to what resembled a fairly small presidios. The pirate knocked down the wooden door with his foot, and Harry and Draco were met with a large stone wall, with ancient carvings of unrecognizable letters into it.

"Read it," hissed the pirate.

"I don't know how to read that writing!" Said Draco.

Harry, however, meandered up to it, as if in a trance. He began mumbling as his fingers traced across the letters, and his eyes widened as he recognized the artifact that the inscriptions mentioned. He did not realize he was reading in another language.__

"The staff of Amun-Rah was made from the bark of the Atlantican trees, and the stone was made from a magical gem. It is tainted with darkness, and only the purest soul can influence the evil within. Shall an evil person gain this staff; they will hold the greatest power over the world, and even dominate over the light…May no evil gain hold of this staff, for the world would come to an end as we know it." 

Draco and the pirate were staring confusedly at Harry, not understanding a word Harry was saying. Not only was Harry reading Atlantican; he was also talking in Atlantican, and still not realizing it. Harry was about to reminisce over his dreams and compare the information he has gathered, but a large vibration in the ground stopped his thoughts.

"What was that?" Asked Harry, but another lurch in the ground nearly made Harry fall over.

"You've cursed us!" The pirate exclaimed, eyes widening. "After we fed you and housed you on a ship, you cursed us!" The pirate began to scream and run out of the hut. Harry and Draco exchanged a raised eyebrow, before running hut of the hut themselves. Another large tremble sent them tumbling to the ground. Harry skinned the heels of his palms on a rock, trying to break his fall, whilst Draco landed on his face. Harry understood a nearby Atlantican saying,

"Our humble island is sinking!"

-~*~-

Haha, big cliffie ;)

Slacker-Thank you so much! I'm glad JK said Harry and Ginny/Hermione wouldn't happen, those fics drive me nuts. I either see Harry with nobody (Although I do want him to be WITH somebody), with Luna, or with a new character.

RadarPLO-Thankies ;)

Clare- I think this chapter is longer than usual

Keebler-Elmo-Sorry for shouting earlier, I was having a bad day overall. Well, time doesn't really change outside of the Basin of Blue Mist, it simply…stops I guess. Harry and Draco get back at the same time they left, as if they hadn't been gone at all. Hope I didn't confuse you. And what happens in Harry's dream is…oh you'll find out. ;)

Estrella solitaria-I know a bunch of Spanish already, which is why I may take French. I love Spanish, but I've been speaking a lot of it since I was eight. I'd read a bunch of Spanish books and things, and now I know a bunch. I want to try taking up something new. Thank you a bunch for the offer, I'll be sure to look you up if I change my mind, and thanks for the review!

Meinien- Yup ^_^

Harrypottergirl-Well, you'll soon find out. Thanks for the brig thing, and thanks for the review!

Cdunwody-I am responding to both of your reviews here, and I would like to say, thank you very much! If you write a story, alert me, and I'll be the first to read and review! You have been a great influence on my frequent updating so far.

I love redheads w/ fangs-Thanks!!

LILRKCHIK-now now, I wouldn't want to give you my next few chapter's plots!!

FishofTime-Thank you! Arg. Sometimes arg I arg think arg I'm arg too arg original. Arg. Are you serious about the Sirius thing? Arg?

Thanks for lovely reviews, new chapter up soon!


	17. Welcome to the Order

**Author's notes: **Uh-oh, I feel like I'm writing all of my other stories in Harry's dreams. ;) Enjoy the story, and review!

-~*~-

"Sinking?!" Exclaimed Harry, looking dumbfounded at the Atlanticans running about.

"What do you mean by '_sinking?'_" Asked Draco.

"They said that Atlantis is sinking!"

_"What?"_

"Come on!" Harry started running back towards shore, and flew off his as a tremor sent him flying. Harry spit out the dirt that went in his mouth and muttered, "Dammit…"

The island felt slightly cockeyed to Harry, it felt as if Harry were running down hill. As he met the shore, several pirates were scrambling back onto their ships, screaming and cursing. Another tremor occurred, and Harry was definitely sure that the island had gone cockeyed. 

The pirate that Harry and Draco had traveled with whispered something to the captain of the ship, and then the captain of the ship gave an order to one of the pirates. The pirate that the captain had talked to pulled out a bow, and strung two arrows on it at once. He released the arrows before Harry and Draco had any time to react, but before the arrows hit them, Harry and Draco both felt tugs between their navels, and they were roughly thrown back out of _the Basin of Blue Mist._

"What the…" said Harry, staring open mouthed at the basin. They were back in their original clothes, looking as they had before they had discovered the basin.

"And we're STILL lost in the freaking forest!" Draco kicked the root of the tree, and cursed as he did so.

"Ah! There you two are!" Said Professor Sprout. "I've been searching to the ends of the forest for you two; don't you ever disappear like that on me again. Especially you, Mr. Potter, Dumbledore would've had my head, considering what you've got left to do."

"He _told _you about that?" Harry said angrily.

"He said he would be betraying your trust if he told us any more than he did, all Dumbledore said was that you'll be an important factor to Voldemort's downfall."

Harry breathed outwards. He was okay with Dumbledore telling them that. In fact, Harry had guessed that since he heard that he was the only one who had survived the _Avada Kedavra _curse. Draco was looking at Harry with interest, wondering what secret Harry was holding.

It had taken nearly an hour to walk back to Hogwarts, and Harry and Draco walked back to their common rooms, without saying a word, and fell asleep on the couches despite the daylight peeking through the windows.

-~*~-

"Oh, great, another one? Who are you, and who are you following?" Harry asked lethargically, leaning on his staff.

_"I am Sargon, follower of Fear."_

_"Is that his name?" Asked Harry, hoping to get more information on the person who was sending several incarnations after him._

_"No, but you might as well call him that, for that is what he is. I am not to expose his name," the demon smiled toothily, and his teeth were stained red. Harry felt ready to retch._

_"You disgust me," Harry hissed vehemently, before destroying the demon again with his staff. This demon took up much more of Harry's power than the other demon had; Harry wondered just how strong that the supposed 'Fear,' was._

-~*~-

When Harry woke up, he rubbed his eyes. The sun was slowly sinking, hidden by the forbidden forest's trees, leaving an eerie mixture of pink, yellow, and orange, spreading out to a midnight blue over the Hogwarts castle.

Harry sat up, and walked out of the common room. "Hey Harry!" Called Dean, who was sitting next to Seamus by the fireplace. Harry waved, and stepped out of the portrait.

"Pumpkin pastries," said Harry as he approached the two stone gargoyles in front of Dumbledore's office. He knocked on Dumbledore's door, and stepped inside as Dumbledore said, "Come in, Harry."

"Have a nice boat ride?" Asked Dumbledore pleasantly. Harry raised a skeptical eyebrow at him, wondering slightly if Dumbledore was the one that had stuck Harry and Draco inside the basin.

"No," answered Harry. "But I do have something else to tell you about. I've been having different dreams than usual—"

"Oh?" inquired Dumbledore, leaning forward in his chair and surveying Harry over the tips of his fingers.

"—I think they're about me…when I'm older…"

"Ah," Dumbledore said, leaning back into his chair. He took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples with one hand. "I was afraid of this, because this would mean I would have to explain more. Snape has been telling me your progress in occlumency has been marvelous, so I suppose I can afford to enlighten you in with this information, and not having to worry about Voldemort discovering it. Have you heard of the prophecies of Merlin, Harry?"

"Yes…" Replied Harry, wondering where Dumbledore was headed with this conversation. 

"You are the reincarnation of Merlin, and I believe his talent has been given to you. You are also the last heir to Gryffindor, as well, of course, although this does not give you nearly as much power as being the reincarnation to Merlin. I believe the dreams you have been having of yourself are due to the talents that Merlin has given to you."

Harry gaped at Dumbledore. 'Furthermore, I would like to propose an offer to you Harry."

"Er…sure…" Answered Harry weakly.

"I would like to know if you would join the Order. I believe you are mature enough, and considering the fact that you are the only one who can defeat him anyways, I think it would only be natural."

"I—uh…"

"Yes, Harry, today is just full of surprises, isn't it? Would you like to? I won't be the one to send you on missions and such, but I do believe you have a right to know what is going on. I have put a lot of thought into this, and I think it is the right choice."

"Er…sure…Professor…" Said Harry timidly.

"Come here Harry," Dumbledore said quietly. "Pull the arm of your robes up, this will only sting a little."

Harry, feeling curious, did as he was told, and felt slightly nervous as Dumbledore drew his wand.

"This emblem that I'm going to mark on your skin allows the order members to make contact with you. Although I doubt you need that as long as you have telepathy. The mark is also used to show you the meeting times, and to make sure you stay loyal to the order. You must not show this to anybody."

Now Harry was feeling nervous as the cool tip of Dumbledore's wand made contact with Harry's skin. His mouth parted slightly as a small burning sensation tingled down his forearm, and an obscure phoenix drawing appeared on Harry's flesh.

"Do you swear to remain loyal to the order of the phoenix and always oppose Voldemort's every action, and do you claim your duties to your friends, family, and peers? Will you always do what is just, and never fall into the hands of evil?" Harry nodded vigorously, and Dumbledore looked pleased. "Very well, Harry, welcome to the order," said Dumbledore as he shook Harry's hand.

-~*~-

Thanks to all who reviewed, you know who you are. 

I don't think I can put every single review in here, so maybe all I'll put in here is direct questions, and people who pointed out errors for me….

Keebler-elmo: They are advanced; they are just of a different culture and have a strict religion. Mainly, it's not to hurt wildlife.

HongMing: Nonononono, Harry didn't sink Atlantis!! Er wait…darn, that would make more sense. That wasn't my original idea! –sobs-

Hushykid3: Dude, the pirate ship scene was sort of an extra trip Harry had to go through. That's where I made him learn sword fighting, where I made him and Draco get along, where you found out about Draco's summer, and then it all leads up to the pirates finding Atlantis, and Harry seeing the inscription, finding out he can speak Atlantican, and witnessing the sinking of Atlantis. 

David305: hank you, it's all fixed. I feel stupid; I know nothing about ships. :)

RadarPLO: Well, given that Harry is the reincarnation of Merlin, and Merlin was the one who created the inscription on the wall, it only seems practical.

Thanks to the rest, I'm too tired to type them all, I'll mention their names though, to show that I didn't forget you: Manga-Lunatic, Khenna, FishofTime, LILRKCHIK, thanks!!

TATA


	18. Author's Note

Author's note:  
  
I am sorry to say that I am having, yet another, writer's block. I have taken up all my ideas too fast, and now I'm practically left with nothing, except for Harry's NEWTS, but Harry is only one week into school, I believe.  
  
If anybody has any crazy ideas (minus the evil bunny rabbits attacking Harry in his sleep) please request themto me, or anything you would like to see in the next few chapters. I haven't gotten a chance to start up the D.A. again, so I may just get started on that in the next chapter. Harry's first Order meeting will not occur for about another two chapters, so right now I'm drawing a blank.  
  
I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, and if you need to talk, my AIM is foolish misery x, and you may contact me when needed. I am on frequently.  
  
Thank you for getting this far into the author's note, but I have another note to add.  
  
I am starting up an account at fictionpress.net to post up an original story. I do want to be a published author at some point, and unfortunately, I cannot write JK's sixth book for her. (Audience sighs in relief.)  
  
Anyhow, check it out at:  
  
Thank you! 


	19. Back to Classes

**Author's notes: **Ack! I think I did okay on my duet (the other guy messed up though, lol) But I totally screwed up the dance I did for a song!! _ Our real-estate agent screwed up our paperwork, so I'm stuck in this house…. (It was USELESS packing up half of my FREAKING room!!!!) And I got all my extra-credit turned in, after many late nights and early mornings, coming into school early, staying after late, and walking home in cold winds with rain…..

Anyhow, I have not fallen off a cliff, you see, I was just busy and very pressured. I had to take Tylenol PM just to get to sleep.

I would like to thank you guys for your suggestions, I will add all of them at some point except for maybe one or two I can't fit in.

Toodles!

-~*~-

As Harry got settled back into school, students were noticing Harry a Draco actually getting along, even if they were still insulting each other. Particularly Ron, who had noticed Harry nodding to Draco, as a sign of light friendship, in the hallway.

Other than Harry's sudden acquaintance with Draco, nothing had happened until a week before Halloween. Dumbledore stood up to speak, and the crowd shushed with enthusiasm.

"I would like to announce that things will be done a bit differently this Halloween." The Hogwarts students cheered. Dumbledore smiled, and waited for the applause to subside. "We will be having a costume party," again, Dumbledore was forced to wait for the cheers and clapping to die-down, "The theme is ancient wizarding couples, such as Merlin and Gwendolyn." While the crowd cheered, yet again, Dumbledore nodded once to Harry, eyes twinkling amusedly.  "Nobody is to reveal their identity to anybody except their date, and the couple whose costume is judged the best will receive a years worth of candy from Honey Dukes, and I assure you, it will not be cockroach clusters." The students in the Great Hall laughed, and Dumbledore simply smiled.

-~*~-

As Harry and the class waited for Craigan to join them, they were utterly surprised with who came in the door, looking tattered as ever.

"_Lupin?" _The class asked incredulously.

"In the flesh," he replied cheerily, looking as eager as Craigan. "I've just remembered why I liked teaching so much…so many bright, young faces, full of…youth…anyways, Craigan is doing something for Dumbledore," Lupin glanced at Harry and rubbed his arm where the phoenix mark would be. Harry's instantly felt lukewarm. "And will be away for approximately two months."

The entire class, including the Slytherins, was looking excited to begin. Lupin laughed, "Now, now, I wouldn't want any of you wetting your pants, settle down…"

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and even Draco each snorted. Making a chorus of…snorts. 

-~*~-

Harry found that Snape had been thoroughly odd. He seemed as if in a slightly dreamy stance, and his hair looked a tiny bit less greasy, although it still looked as if he dumped baby oil on his head. (AN: I've done that once!!!) 

Snape vaguely watched the students, but Harry was attempting to 'read' Snape's mind, before Harry was startled when Snape sent Harry,

_Don't even try it, Potter._

_So much for trying to actually understand you. _Harry sent back. Harry got the slightest sense that Snape rolled his eyes. And then, as Harry handed his finished product to Snape, Snape simply said, "too much basil root, try chopping the roots up smaller."

-~*~-

Harry noticed, (after doing a bit of sorting,) that Hermione felt like she wasn't the 'top girl' anymore. Harry also found that she was proud of Harry, just a little put out. Harry gave her some of the glory in Transfiguration class.

"Potter, I'm disappointed in you, but that is marvelous, Granger, keep up the good work."

Harry shrugged apologetically as Hermione beamed at McGonagall.

-~*~-

Hagrid was rubbing his hands together nervously as the students filed onto the yard around his hut.

"I've gotcha some creatures that I think you'll all like," He said enthusiastically. Harry, Ron and Hermione shuffled their feet nervously, putting their hands inside their pockets and taking them back out again, and Draco stood white-faced, but not looking quite so hateful towards Hagrid. "This lesson is just inside the Forbidden Forest, but not far in, don't you worry, now…" Said Hagrid as he gestured to the class, and they wobbled into the forest anxiously.

As they got closer, Hagrid crouched, towards a patch of loose, crumbled mud. (Like mud that has been dug in and put back together.) He took a small shovel out of his pocket, and began to dig, and the class huddled unsurely around him. Finally, Hagrid pulled out what looked like a baby panda, only it was a deep crimson color, and it's eyes were a milky burgundy, only a few shades darker than its fur. 

"Now this is called a ursus, can anybody tell me what they do?"

Hermione raised her hand eagerly, and Hagrid picked her.

"The ursus is a creature that live underground, and their fur has been in some powerful wands. They have been known to lift trees using their hind legs, and their claws can heal the wound and cleanse the poison from an acromantula's bite. They can also speak fluently with almost any organism, except for plants and trees."

"Very good." Said Hagrid, smiling. "Yer all going to be studying the ursuses for about a week, and in order to get full points, you need to bond with them and get them ter speak with yeh. I have a whole bunch down in this nest here…"

The students eagerly picked one, and Harry got the runt of the bunch. It fumbled around, wobbly on its legs, as if blind, and blinked in the sun. Harry watched it rumble about playfully, and Harry occasionally played with its foot.  

Hagrid eventually announced that it was time to leave, and the students groaned as the carefully set their ursuses in their nest.

-~*~-

Harry vaguely noticed that he still didn't have a date for the Halloween ball, as he turned down nearly every girl who asked him. Harry asked whom Ron was going with, but Ron's ears went crimson, and he said Harry was going to have to wait. 

Harry had to turn down about six red-faced first years, two giggling second years, two bashful third years, and a fifth year, until finally, most of them gave up.

Luna walked up to Harry and dreamily said, "Hello." 

"Hey," Harry replied.

"Do you want to…would you go to the Halloween ball with me?" 

Harry saw Luna the most nervous he ever has seen her, she was shuffling her feet nervously, and her cheeks were tinted pink.

"Well, I mean you don't have to if you don't want to, it's just…I didn't know who else to ask and, well this was stupid of me…I was going to ask Neville but he was asking Ginny…"

"Wait a moment, Neville asked Ginny?" Harry asked.

Luna nodded.

"Did Ginny agree?" Harry inquired again. 

"Well, I'm not sure…"

"If she did, make sure you don't let Ron know, he'll blow his stack." Harry grinned. "And sure, I'll go with you."

Luna blinked. Apparently, this wasn't the answer she had expected to receive, but she hugged Harry, squeezing the life out of him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"No problem," Harry wheezed.

-~*~-

Okay, I got this chappie in, but I don't know how in the world to thank all of you reviewers. :) Argh, Luna is so out of character. Oh well. It's my fanfic :)

HongMing: I wanna save Harry's special abilities for Voldie-poo :) I will have a death-eater attack, though, and peter-poo will meet his demise. Mwahahaha.

RadarPLO: Do not worry, my ickle muffin friend, Harry's abilities will not be…unused!

Dumbledore: ;isn't sure whether or not to take that as a compliment.; Thanks! I think…

Tuxedo Mac: Alrighty then….

Clare: THANK YOU OH SO MUCH!!! –hugs- you've helped me a bunch! ;adds clare to the happy happy muffins list;

Willow 595: Draco plays a BIIIIGGGG part ;)

Estrella something or other: I know….-sighs- 


	20. The Mystery of Peeves

**Author's Note: **I edited chapters twelve and four. I have a lot of chapters I need to re-edit because of my stupid and juvenile ideas. :)

-~*~-

Harry lay in bed, wondering what in the world had possessed him to say _yes _to _Luna. _Harry silently vowed that he would take that secret to the grave, as nobody would know them in their costumes anyways. He turned over, and noticed Ron was awake as well; the silhouette of Ron's gangly form was sitting up through a shadow on the curtain. 

"Ron," said Harry, "You awake?"

"Yeah, you?"

"No, I'm sleeping." Said Harry sarcastically. Ron snorted quietly at his own stupidity. Their talking was the only noise throughout the dorm, except for Neville's snoring. The moonlight was eerily reflecting over the chilly stone floor.

Harry stomach suddenly growled. "I'm hungry." He said simply, changing the subject.

"You're always hungry." Commented Ron. "Do me a favor and eat Neville. His snoring is bugging me."

The conversation between the two died out, and both of them mused on their thoughts before finally falling to sleep. 

Suddenly Peeves flew in, blowing raspberries, nearly waking the entire dormitory. 

"My, my, what a surprise, it's Potty Wee Potter, sleeping his eyes!" Peeves grabbed Harry's blanket, but Harry snatched it away and curled into it.

"Go away…Aunt Petunia…it's not morning yet…mmmph…" Harry mumbled into his blanket. Peeves cackled incessantly. Harry finally awoke, and went, "What the…?"

"Go on Peeves, we're trying to sleep!" Seamus said, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, wreak havoc on the Bloody Baron or something."

"Nope, nope, Dumbledore's orders himself, wee laddie!"

"Dumbledore is officially a madman, sending you in here to wake us all up and bother us." Commented Ron, yawning. He sent a scowl in Neville's direction, whom continued to snore.

"Ah, but Dumbledore didn't send me here to annoy you, I just chose to do so on my own. There is more to me than you see, why else would Dumbledore let me stay?"

"Because he's off his rocker?" Inquired Ron.

Peeves made a sound like a large buzzer. "Wrong, ickle Ronnikins! Your brothers lent me that name, by the way," Peeves hung cross-legged, upside down. 

"Well then, why _do _you stay here?"

"Peeves will say nothing, unless Dumblydore commands so himself!"

Then, peeves jerked still, as though electrocuted. He then mumbled, "only a false alarm, good night, wee Gryffindors!" And with that, Peeves shot out of the room, silver sparks tracing after him.

The dorm looked confusedly around the room, wondering what on earth that was all about, until each of them fell like bugs shot by bug-repellant, back to a deep slumber.

-~*~-

The mystery of Peeves was forgotten by everyone, except by Harry, who was still musing on it until mid-afternoon. He decided to think about other things, though, considering he had occlumency with Snape in a few minutes.

Harry walked down the dreary, dank dungeons, mold crawling up the walls, to Snape's office.

For some reason, many of the torches began to flicker out, and Harry muttered, "Lumos," lighting up the cave-like corridor. Harry turned a corner, and ran into Snape himself.

"Come on Potter, I don't have all day."

"Er, alright."

Snape led him to his office, and gestured Harry to a chair.

"Sit," Snape commanded. Harry sat.

"Well, you have pretty much mastered the use of occlumency, which is odd, considering you were terrible at it last year." Snape leaned over, "What is it that suddenly snapped inside your head?" Snape knew the answer, and even more so as Harry turned his head.

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

"Very," commented Snape. "Were you wondering why Professor Dumbledore did not teach you himself, yet again?"

"Some what." Harry answered blearily. Harry wondered why Snape didn't tell him the first occlumency lesson that year. _He was probably too mad about teaching me in the first place, _Harry mused. 

"It is for the same reasons as last year," said Snape, "undoubtedly, Professor Dumbledore told you it was a mistake for me teaching _you, _which I thoroughly consider true, nonetheless, the headmaster is still convinced Voldemort may find some way to get you to attack him. No that I have that explained and it is off the tip of my mind, we should get started. _Legilimens!"_

One of Harry's recent dreams flashed by, as he destroyed a demon. Snape looked at Harry curiously.

"This doesn't look like a dream from the Dark Lord," he said.

"I know," answered Harry truthfully. "Dumbledore—"

"_Professor _Dumbledore_," _interjected Snape.

"Professor Dumbledore said I was making prophecies. It's not evil, don't worry."

"Ah," said Snape.

-~*~-

It was the night before Halloween, and Harry was talking to Luna in a concealed room, very much like a janitor's closet.

"What d'you think we should go as?"

Luna's eyes widened. "A crumple-horned snorkack!"

Harry sighed dejectedly. _Why? _Harry asked himself. _Why, why, why?_

"The theme is ancient wizarding couples," said Harry.

"Oh," Luna said in disappointment. "Well, we could go as Merlin and Gwendolyn, as Dumbledore suggested,"

"That would be good, considering I don't know of any other wizarding couples. I don't pay attention in History of Magic."

"Mhm," said Luna. "How are we going to get the costume? I have been busy all week, and you said you didn't make it to this Hogsmeade weekend either…"

"I know of a secret entrance to Hogsmeade…"

"You do?"

"Just don't put it into the Quibbler."

Suddenly, the closet door opened, and Lupin appeared in the doorway, looking thoroughly surprised.

"Harry and Luna?"

"I—but—we didn't—we're not—" stuttered Harry.

"Don't pretend you weren't doing anything in here," said Lupin, "I'll be taking this," he added, snatching the broom beside Harry. "And I'm off. I'll leave you two at it."

Lupin winked, and walked off. Harry continued to stutter wordlessly at Lupin, but Luna said merrily, "Let's go!" And she nearly hurled Harry out of the closet. "Now, where is this secret entrance you were talking about?"

-~*~-

I'll add reviews in the next chapter. It's too late tonight, my main goal was just to get updated.


	21. The Halloween Ball

**AN: **I may just take out the super-powers thing. It really sounds lame. Sorry if you liked it, Harry's powers will still grow throughout the fic, but it wouldn't be from the clown, because I think that it sounds really tacky. I have a lot of editing and re-editing to do over fall break.

-~*~-

As Harry and Luna walked into the Grand Hall, they didn't even look like Hogwarts students. Harry almost looked like a replica of Merlin, and Luna of Gwendolyn. Harry had used an aging charm that lasted five hours on the two of them, and they had bought ancient robes from a shop. Had this been several thousand years ago, you would've thought a slightly younger looking Merlin marched in with a blond version of Gwendolyn attached to his rather limp and unwilling arm.

Harry unceremoniously sat into a nearby chair, watching the other dancers in costumes. Harry nearly couldn't recall any of the ancient wizarding couples, except for the witch named Hedwig that waltzed past, which is the witch Harry named Hedwig after, and the few he has seen from pictures in his History of Magic book.

"So…do you want to dance? That _is _what you typically do at a ball." Luna asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

_Why, why, why? _Harry chanted in his head, but out of his mouth, he begrudgingly replied "sure," and stood up. 

_If Mad-Eye's in here somewhere I'm going to pop that swirling eyeball straight out of his head. Wait, can Dumbledore see through costumes? Crap, _Thought Harry as he awkwardly danced with Luna. Harry felt the heat of embarrassment rising up his neck.

Luna seemed to be a natural at dancing, and Harry was the boy-who-lived-and-has-two-left-feet.

(AN: *rolls eyes*)

Finally, after about another hour of dancing to songs that Harry thought were either too sappy, or far too obnoxious, Professor Dumbledore, dressed as himself, made an announcement. Harry instantly thought Dumbledore's eyes twinkled too much as he looked towards Harry and Luna.

"The judges, in other words, the Hogwarts staff, have made their decision on which couple has the best costume. And the winners are…" Dumbledore pulled a sheet from a crème envelope, "Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, dressed as Calypso and Odysseus!"

Harry's jaw dropped, as far as it could go without hitting the floor, as two figures walked towards the stage. Ron was wearing silver robes lined with red, and wearing a that hat concealed his lurid red hair, and Hermione was wearing red robes lined with gold, and her hair was still slightly frizzy, but was now a deep black color.

Soon enough, the events had ended, leaving a few people to continue talking in the silence. Luna had already bid Harry goodbye, and Harry, now looking around the age thirty as the ageing charm began to wear off, confronted Ron and Hermione.

"And when were you two going to tell me about this?"

"A-about what?" Said Hermione nervously.

"You know what I mean."

"Actually, I don't know what you mean, Harry, we just needed somebody for the ball and so we decided to ask each other…"

"I hope you know, I wouldn't have minded so much if you had just told me what was going on. Of course, I should've figured it out with you two being together so much…"

"It's not like that!" Protested Ron angrily.

"Oh?" Said Harry, "Well, I'm going to bed. Maybe I should be less open with you guys, considering you're not so open with me anymore."

"The point is, you're not open with us, you never tell us what's going on!"

"I said I was going to bed," repeated Harry angrily as he stalked off, only to be stopped by Draco in the hallway.

"You do realize you look like an old tomato, right?" Asked Draco. "What? You didn't think Ron and Hermione would get together at some point? They bicker more than my parents did."

"It's not that, Draco, sod off."

"Oh, now I'm scared."

Harry rolled his eyes. Draco sighed.

"I absolutely _despise _being sentimental and all—but really, Potter, are you going to end your friendship because of something so petty?"

"I'm not ending the friendship, I'm just not too happy with them right now."

"Whatever," said Draco, then he muttered, "moron…" as he stalked off.

Harry's arm instantly began to burn, and without thinking, Harry lifted his sleeve, and saw his phoenix mark shine a golden color. He quickly ran to his dorm, and dressed in his normal robes, and immediately ran to Dumbledore's office.

-~*~-

Sorry about the short chapter…I couldn't think of what to say, really. Next chapter is Harry's first Order meeting, and all that good stuff. As I said at the top, I'm still going to have Harry get knocked out from the clown bite, but there is going to be no super-powers, although Harry won't be the novice wizard anymore, and I'm going to change the transformation thing.

Cdunwody: Schools giving me and ENORMOUS amount of trouble. Do you know how many grades I had to bring up? Rofl

Romm: Nope, Luna's not a reincarnation of anybody. Harry just likes her ^_^

FishofTime: Thank you :)

Ginnygal189: And I even plan to improve my earlier writing. ;) Thanks

Crater212: I wish I knew some wizarding couples…but sadly, I don't, and the best I could come up with is Merlin and Gwendolyn. Because I'm an airhead. Forgive me.

Khenna: Which is exactly what I did. ;)

LILRKCHIK: yup, remember: Harry connects with Luna, so he likes her, but is confuzzled with his feelings. (You are free to throw up now…)


	22. Traitor

"Hello there, Harry." Said Dumbledore merrily. Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips, but forced out, "Glad to see you, Harry."

Fred and George came over and patted him on the back, as they each winked at him. Harry pulled up a chair, not feeling so good. A tickling sensation was fluttering about in Harry stomach. Harry briefly recognized it as extreme happiness, even though he wasn't too happy himself.

The Order members went talking on about Voldemort, and Harry found himself barely listening, only getting brief parts of what they were all saying.

"…Plans to destroy a muggle village, I'm not sure where…"

"…May have some leads on the staff…"

"Harry, are you alright?"

Harry snapped his head up. "Um, yeah, thanks Mrs. Weasley…I'm just…tired."

Dumbledore stared at Harry calmly, and Harry said. "I-I think I'm going to go to bed."

"You can't just _leave _the Order meeting! You shouldn't be here in the first place, and you're running off simply because you have a headache—" started Snape.

"Severus," warned Dumbledore. "Harry, maybe you should get to bed. I'll tell you about the meeting tomorrow."

"Alright," Harry agreed, and walked back to the Gryffindor tower.

-~*~-

_Harry was laughing hysterically as he looked around him. It was at Privet Drive, and Harry saw his Aunt Uncle, and Cousin laying on the floor, unconscious, but not dead. Voldemort simply thought they were._

_Bellatrix shrieked and giggled with mirth as she tortured an old muggle couple. Harry, who was rolling around in bed in agony as he witnessed this through Voldemort's body, as he clutched his scar, thought he was going to be sick, but the Harry in Voldemort's body merely continued to laugh._

_"Annihilarius!" Voldemort yelled over the screams, as a large, bomb-like blast made it's way towards the end of the street, destroying everything in its path._

_Even more screams occurred, muggles ran up and down the street in terror, houses lay in ruins…there were children, lying motionless…babies screaming for their mothers to wake up. Everywhere was death and destruction and agony._

_Policemen suddenly arrived, and were attempting to shoot at Harry, but he simply grinned, sending shivers up the officers' spines._

_Fire burned throughout the neighborhood, bringing everything with it. The fire was like an ocean wave, lapping every house into its destruction._

_The only house that continued to stand, unharmed, was Number Four, Privet Drive._

Harry finally awoke, and brought his scorching hand to stop his upcoming scream. He noticed something warm flowing down his chin, and recognized it as blood. He briefly looked towards his palm, and a large burnt circle was searing through his skin, as though acid. Harry took his finger and poked at his scar, but immediately brought it away, as his finger began to burn as well. He wiped the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Why?" Harry choked, meaning to ask Voldemort, even though he wasn't there. Harry sped as fast as he could to the two stone gargoyles.

"Pumpkin pastries," but cursed, as that didn't open them. "Leave it to Dumbledore to change the password the time I need him the most. Er…lemon drops? Levitating sherbet balls?" Harry ran in as the gargoyles leapt aside.

"Dumbledore!"

Harry suddenly felt silly, in Dumbledore's formal office, full of Order members, in his pajamas, but nobody laughed at Harry. Harry wondered if his scar was bleeding. It sure felt like it. It seared with pain, that Harry wanted to scream, and rip his forehead off.

"Voldemort's attacked Privet Drive!"

Dumbledore's eyes widened, "Are your Aunt and Uncle still alive? Is your house still standing?"

Harry was relieved to see Mrs. Figg in the meeting with them.

"Yes, I think they were still alive, Voldemort didn't notice though. I'm not even sure how _I _know. And yes, my home is still standing."

Dumbledore looked relieved, though still old and wary, and called for the order members to appear there. Harry wanted to go, but Dumbledore stopped him.

"Now is not the time, Harry." He said simply, and looked very tired. Harry started pacing back and forth, until he nearly wore a hole into Dumbledore's carpet. The grandfather clock ticking in the corner was beginning to bug Harry.

It was as if ticking away the minutes before the wizarding world was destroyed…into flames and destruction as Privet Drive was.

"Why?" Harry stopped to ask Dumbledore. "He even killed babies! They barely had a chance to live!"

"Voldemort has a tortured soul, Harry—"

"That doesn't give him the right to kill everybody!"

"Yes, Harry, I know that, but Voldemort is cowardly, he takes out his emotions on everybody else. He hates muggles for what his father did to his mother. He hates muggles for them putting him in an orphanage. That is why Voldemort lives, only to thrive on other's pain. He enjoys the death."

Harry glared at Dumbledore. "Why didn't Dippet just let him stay for the summer? Like I did? Maybe then I'd have parents."

Dippet was about to protest from the portrait on the wall, but Dumbledore cut across him. "Professor Dippet did not know Harry. And your case was different from Voldemort's. For you, you came here for your safety. Voldemort merely wanted to stay because he did not like the orphanage."

Harry, still scowling, went back to pacing in the awkward silence as the seconds slowly ticked one by one on the grandfather clock. _Uncle Vernon probably wouldn't let me back into that house again. He probably knows it's my fault Voldemort is there in the first place…_Harry thought sullenly. Finally, the Order members appeared, and Lupin was holding a burnt blanket. Harry supposed that the blanket was a portkey. He didn't want to think what child owned the blanket.

Many of the members were supporting broken limbs, or looked bloody here and there. Mad-Eye Moody's arm was scorched, and the tip of Tonks's hair was singed.

"Well?" Asked Harry, face contorted in worry.

"Voldemort eventually fled," said Lupin, looking grave. "We lost…Kingsley and Elphias." Lupin finally finished. 

Dumbledore took off his glasses, now looking sullen and silent, and said, turning to Mrs. Weasley,

"Alert Arthur, I'm sure the ministry needs to hear of this, and Arthur is able to cover for us."

As Mrs. Weasley did as she was told, Dumbledore muttered, "Kingsley and Elphias, and Voldemort wasn't even using a quarter of his army…I think we are in grave danger…"

-~*~-

Harry couldn't sleep. He didn't want to sleep. Harry was afraid, that if he did, the termination of the muggles would welcome him again in his sleep. Ron had been awoken and told what happened, but after a brief alarm, and incomprehension, Ron shook his head, said Harry must've been dreaming, and went back to sleep.

Harry stared angrily at his friend. First, he dates his _other _friend behind his back—without telling him! And then, Ron says that Harry was dreaming, even though Harry was in Dumbledore's office, and heard the whole thing. It wasn't a dream; Harry knew this. In dreams, they were distant realities. You couldn't feel anything in a dream. Harry could feel the cold stone floors as he solemnly walked back to the Gryffindor tower. Harry felt the pain of two innocent men, dying by the hands of Voldemort.

Harry scowled, sighed, and woke up Ron again. "Harry, what the—I told you that you were dreaming!"

"Ron, I WASN'T dreaming! Kingsley and Elphias are DEAD. What is the matter with you?"

"They aren't dead, Harry, get back to sleep."

"I wasn't dreaming! I didn't see them die in my 'dream!' Lupin told us that they died!"

Ron simply shook his head. "Harry, you're making no sense. What'd Lupin do? Walk in the Gryffindor tower to tell you?"

"No, I saw Voldemort in my dream, I went to tell Dumbledore, the Order members were having a meeting in Dumbledore's office, they went off to confront Voldemort, came back, and Lupin said that Kingsley Shaklebolt and Elphias Dodge were _dead!"_

"It's not possible." Said Ron.

"You're just like Fudge." Harry said, shaking with anger. "Never believing what your thick head can't comprehend." 

He vaguely heard Ron retort, 'whatever you say…' Harry looked back to his palm, which, like the rest of him, was trembling with silent rage. It wasn't bleeding anymore, but it still seared with pain every time Harry closed his fist.

Not wanting to be in the same room as Ron, Harry left the dormitory, and slept in the common room, next to the fire is his favorite armchair.

Neville suddenly startled Harry awake the next morning. "Harry, Ron said he was sorry,"

"Tell him I said not to speak with me unless he wants to be hexed."

Neville sat down, and said, "I was awake last night, and I heard what you said. Were those men more friends of yours?"

Harry nodded. "I didn't know them well."

Neville didn't know what to say at this point, so he concluded with, "well if you ever need to talk, I'm here…"

"You don't know how much that means to me." Harry replied, attempting a weak smile. Harry sat next to Neville at the Gryffindor tables, ignoring all stares from both Ron and Hermione. He briefly heard Hermione say,

"He couldn't possibly be _this _mad at us for dating!"

Ron said, "Well, he's mainly just mad at me…"

"Why?" Asked Hermione.

Ron told her what happened the night before, and Hermione exclaimed, "How could you!"

Ron flinched, and glumly went back to eating.

"What's up your butt now?" Asked Draco as Harry entered the hallway.

"Ron didn't believe me that two…people died in one of Voldemort's attacks near my house."

Draco flinched at the use of Voldemort's name, but looked slightly sympathetic.

"Oh…" said Draco.

"Listen, I've got to get to Charms…" Harry started, but Draco said,

"If you didn't notice, Potter, I've got Charms as well."

"Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Understandable," said Draco, "I probably wouldn't have either."

Their conversation ended there, as they both walked to Charms. 

They only reviewed in charms, and Harry sat next to Draco, still avoiding Ron with the best of his abilities. Hermione, understandably, didn't avoid Ron, but was still furious with him at what he did to Harry.

Harry and Neville walked to Transfiguration, which they had with Ravenclaw.

"Hi Harry," Said Cho. "Where've you been this year?"

"Around," Harry replied, disinterested. Cho looked vaguely disappointed, and asked Neville if she could be alone with Harry for a bit.

"Be my guest," replied Neville.

Harry crossed his arms, and raised his eyebrows as he waited for her to speak.

"Harry—I was wondering if you could…go to Hogsmeade with me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm tired of trying Cho! I wouldn't mind being your friend, but I'm tired of being your boyfriend, it just doesn't work out."

"You were the one who wouldn't understand about—"

"Who? Cedric?" Asked Harry angrily. "Oh yes, Cho, you lost a boyfriend! I was _forced _to _watch _Cedric die! I was forced to watch my Godfather, yes, my Godfather was Sirius, die! I have been forced to watch countless people die, Cho. Do you honestly think I want to talk about dead people at a coffee shop on a _date?"_

"Well no, but—"

"But nothing Cho, please, just leave me alone." And Harry left Cho, who was looking stunned.

As Harry entered Transfiguration, he sat next to Neville again, and was joined by Hermione.

"You're not disgustedly mad at me too, are you?"

"Not as mad as I am with Ron, but still pretty mad," Harry told her.

"If you wanted to know, the reason we didn't tell you we were dating is because we were afraid that you would fly off the handle—"

"When were going to tell me then? When you were married and had three kids?"

"I honestly doubt that—"

"Comon Hermione, I'm not in a good mood. Not right now."

Hermione looked crestfallen, but quietly replied, "Okay…"

Neville poked Harry, and said, "Hey I forgot to show you,"

Neville pulled out his wand. "This is the new wand I got after my Father's snapped," He said. "It's mahogany, thirteen inches, with a dragon heart-string core," Neville said excitedly. "It works much better than my father's did."

"That's great Neville," Harry smiled. Harry realized that he hadn't paid much attention to Neville's progress this year. As they tried to transfigure dogs into cats, Harry got it on his second attempt. Hermione accomplished it on her fourth.

Neville accomplished it on his third.

-~*~-

How does JK do it? How does she always manage to never forget a character in her stories? Haha, Harry's blowing up at everybody, isn't he?

Anyhow, thanks for all the reviews:

RadarPLO: Haha, I hate reading backwards. _

Romm: I think they work rather well together. ^_^ I'm a nutcase though. As I have said before, there is not going to be much between them, just a slight relationship. Luna isn't going to be a reincarnation of Gwendolyn, and then she marries Harry, and every body lives happily ever after…yadda yadda yadda, There's going to be about as much of a relationship as say…Harry and Cho, except Harry and Luna won't break up, furious with each other.

Pinkflamingoes: Isn't Lupin cool??!

Ginnygal189: Tee-hee!!

LILRKCHIK: Er…what's peachy? Rofl

Keebler-elmo: He does, and thanks.

Khenna: Aw, don't be mean to poor Malfoy ;)

TuxedoMac: The clown thingy stayed, I thought the ball was a bit off, too. I was going to make it where Harry and Luna won, but I thought going he other direction would surprise ya. ;)

FishofTime: Haha, I thought my story was just dragging and dragging, so thanks for enlightening me that my story doesn't suck by now. ;)

I can't WAIT until I get 200 reviews! *squeals*


	23. Realizations

McGonagall stopped Harry just before he walked out of class.

"Professor Dumbledore has told me that your…guardians will be staying at St. Mungo's for the time being, and should be back in their house within a week. Although, I highly doubt they'd stay there, seeing as the rest of the houses are in ruins." McGonagall said grimly.

Harry nodded numbly. He missed Ron, but he didn't want to give in to him. All of his surrounding neighbors are dead—and it was Harry's fault.

McGonagall put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's all going to be alright."

-~*~-

Hermione passed the _Daily Prophet _to Harry quietly, and she went back to eating her unfinished toast. Harry unfolded the paper.****

_Death Eater Attack in Muggle Neighborhood, Privet Drive_

Ministry officials are unable to say much on this, and Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley claimed that he is 'unable to reveal much of the information,' which has led many people to wonder whether Arthur is suitable for being the minister. 

This nice, well-kept neighborhood, where the-boy-who-lived, Harry Potter resides, has been attacked by several death eaters, along with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself. Muggle officials who attempted to oppose the death eaters were each killed.

Two Ministry of Magic employees have been lost fighting against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. One named Kingsley Shaklebolt, and the other, an Unspeakable, Elphias Dodge. May them both rest in peace.

The muggles were unable to understand this amazing encounter, are unsure what to believe. But one man who remained claimed that, "none of them had bombs. They were each holding sticks—and fire and sparks shot out of them. This was no terrorist attack."

The ministry has been trying to wipe the memory of the muggles, but it has already spread throughout muggle news. Will the wizarding world be exposed, with this one attack?

-~*~-

Harry glared at Ron, who sat two seats away from him, and tossed the newspaper at him.

"Believe me now?" Harry asked coldly.

Harry watched Ron's eyes widen as he read the article.

As Harry walked down the corridor, Ron caught up with him.

"Harry, it wasn't as if I didn't believe you, it's just that the last time this happened, it was about Sirius and all—"

Harry's eyes narrowed, and continued walking. 

"Come on Harry! It was late last night—"

"This isn't about whether you believed me or not, Ron." Said Harry crossly. "It's about whether you trust me. Anymore, it's like you'd trust Draco more then—"

"About that, what's up with your little friendship with Draco now anyways?"

Harry stopped to stare at Ron for a moment, and said, "it's not as if you'd believe me. You didn't believe me about a death eater attack in my own neighborhood."

"Try me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you never told me about you and Hermione. You didn't believe me when I said two of the Order members were dead!"

Groups in the hall turned to stare at Harry.

"We thought you'd be mad at us for dating—"

"I'm even more mad that you both didn't tell me."

"We didn't know that Harry! We aren't inside your head! We don't know what you think about!"

"Tell me, Ron, if I went and dated Ginny, wouldn't you want to know?"

"That's different—Ginny's my sister!"

"It's not that much different. Hermione's like a sister to me." Commented Harry hotly. 

"F-Fine, Harry, if you're going to be that way. I was going to forgive you for—"

Harry started laughing and walked away.

-~*~-

"Hey there Ginny," Harry said indifferently as he walked into the Gryffindor common room, after a long day in Care of Magical Creatures, trying to get his ursus to bond with him.

"Hey," said Ginny, "I hear you and Ron have been having rows—again."

"Yup," said Harry.

"Why are you two arguing?"

"Because Ron has a great head full of waffle."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh alright—I'm always forced to remember that you never share your thoughts with anyone…"

"Did you know they were dating?" Asked Harry suddenly.

"Oh, is that what you're on about?" Ginny said, incredulously. 

"No, but it's part of it. I take it you knew then?"

"Yes—" replied Ginny.

"Of course," said Harry.

"—But that was only because I caught them snogging in the bedroom," Ginny grinned.

"Gee, that makes me feel loads better."

"Glad to be of service."

-~*~-

"I reckon it's going to be an exciting game tonight! And Here comes the Gryffindors—Weasley, Potter, Finnigan, Thomas, Weasley, Creevey, Creevey, and—Granger? This is a surprise, and the Slytherins—Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyal, Zabini, Parkinson, Warrington, Pucey, and Montague!" Said Ernie Macmillan from the commentary booth, as McGonagall hovered over him like a hawk.

It was sprinkling lightly on the quidditch field, and Ron was so angry, that every quaffle that went near the goal posts was sent right back into the chaser's stunned faces.

Harry imagined the snitch as Ron, and how much he would like to squeeze the life out of him.

They were playing quidditch against Slytherin, and it was a pretty rough game. There were lots of bruises and cuts, yelling, and careening down the field, as if late for work. 

"…And Ginny Weasley shoves past Pucey—and in goes the quaffle! 20-30 to Gryffindor!"

(AN: Your air-headed author forgot to mention quidditch games, didn't she?)

Harry and Draco circled the field, and Draco mouthed to Harry, "You're going down,"

"Over my dead body," Harry said back, grinning.

"Gladly." Draco replied.

Harry saw a glimmer of gold—but it was only the bit of gold on Hermione's quidditch robes. Harry was still astounded by how well she did. Hermione wasn't marvelous, but she wasn't bad either.

"Ginny scores again—Ooh, nice block Ron—20-40 to Gryffindor!" said Ernie. "Oh, Slytherin Blaise Zabini swings in and makes a shot, 30-40 to Gryffindor."

Harry watched Hermione speed toward Slytherin's goal posts, throw it in at a great speed, but it was blocked by the Slytherin keeper. Harry couldn't see whom the keeper was from where he was flying, although he did notice that it was a smaller player than the players from last year.

"…And Granger shoots and misses, but here comes Zabini again—and he shoots—he…scores. Darn, the score is tied, 40-40."

Harry took a look around, and noticed a lot of the Slytherin players were much smaller then they were the previous years. And it looked like it helped Slytherin a lot—not having so big, bulky players.

Harry swooped around, and scanned the field again. Luna's ludicrous lion hat roared from the crowd, making Harry laugh. 

Hermione missed another shot, making Harry wonder whether his judgment was wrong.

Finally, a glimmer of gold to his right caught his eye, and Harry sped towards it—wind rushing through his hair—and Draco at his heels. The snitch began to zip in an opposite direction, and Draco and Harry began to race neck to neck—hand trying to grasp the snitch. Harry distantly thought about squeezing the life out of Ron again, making him speed up faster.

Seeing this, Draco shouldered into Harry, and the snitch disappeared.

"…and Harry loses the snitch by a shove from Draco…"

"What did you have to go and do that for?"

"Well, considering my broom had reached its limits, I shaved you as a last resort." Draco grinned.

"I knew I should've tried a wronski feint," Harry muttered.

Another two minutes passed, and Harry saw no sign of the snitch. Finally, Harry saw it about two feet from the ground. The moment Draco was on the other side of the field, still searching, Harry pulled into a quick dive. They Gryffindors cheered Harry on, and Draco, still not noticing the snitch, had the Slytherins yelling at him to "follow Harry!"

Harry's hand was inches away from the snitch, and Draco had finally caught up with him. Harry moved to the side, and sped up faster, hand touching the snitch's golden surface. Finally, Harry's hand grasped the snitch, causing all of the Gryffindors to scream and shout.

"…GRYFFINDOR WINS!" shouted Ernie.

Harry had a death grip on the snitch, telling himself that it was really Ron's neck, which made him grin. Draco looked disappointed, but managed a "thumbs up" to Harry.

-~*~-

FishofTime: Thanks! And yes, Cho was in the class.

Luna Aelf Writer: Thankies :)

Khenna: As I said before, Malfoy and Harry insult each other still, but they slightly developed a slight friendship the week they were on a ship.

Yana5: Today :)

TuxedoMac times 4: Thank you ;D

Romm: Well, my only point of view focuses around Harry, so Draco probably does get a lot about his personality changing in the Slytherin common room. SSHG?! That's illegal, you know, considering Snape's 50 and Hermione's only 16. ;)


	24. Trust

Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter is so short…I'm taking a much-needed break. Sorry for the lack of updates. I can assure you, however, this story will NOT be closed off before it's finished. I have just been over-loaded with tons of schoolwork yet again…

-~*~-

It had taken up a lot from Harry to completely ignore Ron as he passed him in the common room. He missed sharing things with Ron, but he was so mad at him, he couldn't bring himself to even try to make up.

"Harry listen—"

"I don't want to talk with y—"

"Shut up, Harry, and listen to me!" Ron declared furiously. Harry's mouth snapped shut as he glared at Ron. "I'm sorry, okay? What do I have to do to get you to forgive me?"

"Well, for one thing, it doesn't help to curse at me, and for two…you know how in order to make up with a friend, the friend that betrayed the friend becomes a slave for the friend's forgiveness?" Harry grinned deviously as Ron gulped. Harry would probably tell Ron to make out with the Giant Squid, or maybe polish Grawp's toenails.

"Yeah…" Answered Ron weakly, imagining pulling an ursus from a crevice in the doomful toenails of Grawp.

"Well…" Harry said, drawing out the word in his thoughtfulness, and scratched his chin. "I want you to believe every word I say. If I say there's a purple penguin floating above your head, you better damn well look up."

Ron looked relieved that this was all he had to do. 

"But," Harry added, "I don't think I can trust you again for awhile, Ron."

Ron nodded his head, and silence overtook the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione looked up from her homework, and said, "Honestly, you two, all you ever do is fight."

-~*~-

The crunch of an early December morning's snow was heard as Hogwarts students crouched behind snow forts, throwing snowballs at each other and making snowmen. Icicles hung threateningly from the Hogwarts castle, as if waiting for a kid to walk under them. Harry was with Ron and Draco (who bickered back and forth, occasionally throwing a snowball into the other's face,) having a snowball fight with Neville, Ginny, and Dean. Neville was the easiest target, but they each tried to avoid him.

Dumbledore had gradually begun using Grimmauld Place for the headquarters again, after painting the walls a rich red color, and having a portrait of Sirius before he was sent to Azkaban on the wall. Harry found it painful returning there at first, but he eventually got use to it.

After a long day, the Hogwarts students trudged back into the castle, sopping wet and shivering, and warmed up by the fires, merrily sipping their cocoa.

"Are we having Christmas together again at Grimmauld Place?" Asked Ron, a large blanket draped around his body, and he was sitting nearly five inches away from the fire.

"I reckon so, considering Mrs. Weasley sent me a letter inviting us to." Harry grinned. Ron had asked this nearly five times since the beginning of December. They were leaving in two days.

-~*~-

Here is a good review that pointed out a lot of things, from Ides of March:

I'm getting a bit confused. Why is Atlantis called the Lost City of Atlantis if it isn't lost yet? And why are the pirates so stereotypical? Pirates (If you're in grade eight, you should cover this around April or so) are actually nobles supported by Elizabeth I who try to intercept gold from the Spanish galleons...Plus, last thing, why is the staff of Amun-Rah (which is Egyptian) mentioned in Atlantis...?

Well, first of all, since the Pirates died ON Atlantis, there wouldn't really be any records. There have been people who tried to discover the Lost City of Atlantis, as there have been explorers searching for the Fountain of Youth, etc., etc. Pirates, (Known as seadogs back then,) _were_ supported by Elizabeth, but they were still pirates nonetheless, and the English pirates weren't the only pirates ever to sail, I'm sure. I made them stereotypical because throughout history, we have all been stereotypical at some points. We've been stereotypical over amounts of money, religion, race, nearly anything people can stereotype. I wouldn't consider pirates as nobles, really, considering pirates were poor. Pirates were people who stole treasure, and though Elizabeth I did order them to attack the Spanish Armada, she lied about it to England, because it probably wasn't considered a 'great' thing for the queen to be associating with the seadogs. (I covered this at the beginning of the year.) The staff of Amun-Rah isn't an actual Egyptian word, I made it up. It sounds Egyptian, but I recently decided it'd be Atlantican.

Also: Harry kicking Voldemort/Wormtail's arse will be in the sequel to this story, unless I can fit it in. I plan the end to be coming up soon.


	25. Return to Grimmauld Place

I've grown to disliking my beginning chapters. I can't wait to get this one finished, because I want Harry's seventh year to not sound so…out there.

-~*~-

Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express with Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville. Draco, for the first time, had decided to stay at Hogwarts, rather than "Stay with his drunk mother," as he said.

The six of them played exploding snap or chess as they waited to reach platform 9 ¾. Harry laughed freely as Ron got squirted with the foul smelling liquid produced from the game. 

Finally, the train began to screech to a loud halt, and they each wobbly strolled off the train, from not moving for such a long period of time. Mad-Eye Moody, Lupin, and Tonks, each cheerily waving to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, greeted them. Harry lugged Hedwig, Isis, and his trunk from the train.

(AN: I have changed the phoenix's name, Taeli, to Isis in the earlier chapters to some of you older readers.)

"Want me to help you with that?" Asked Tonks.

"Thanks," said Harry as he passed her Isis.

As they made it towards Grimmauld Place, Harry nearly ran into Snape's sneering face.

"What's he doing here?" Asked Harry, as though Snape weren't scowling in front of him.

"Professor Snape will be staying with us for Christmas," Said Lupin, looking slightly disgruntled.

"Why?" questioned Ron curiously.

"Potter's advanced guard. And I didn't volunteer, either." Snape said lazily, and he turned to walk into the other room, scowl on his face. Harry noticed that Grimmauld Place had been painted a deep red color, and the portrait of Sirius's mother was removed. Harry figured Dumbledore had found a way to peel her off.

"Alrighty then," said Harry, "I' going to put my stuff away." As he reached his room, he saw a tawny owl pecking at the glass, the _Daily Prophet _clutched in his beak.

Suddenly remembering that he had re-ordered the Prophet, he opened the window to let the bird through, and pulled a few sickles from his pouch and handing it to the bird. Harry opened it, finding that Voldemort had attacked another muggle town. This didn't alarm Harry much—Voldemort had attacked nearly six by now.

Tossing the paper in the bin, (Which burped loudly, then in a rumbling voice, said, "Thank you."), Harry went downstairs and grinned. Tonks was merrily singing, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," and Mundugus drunkenly joined in, along with Ron and Hermione. Lupin was smiling, as they had each reminded him of Sirius from the previous year, and Snape merely tutted and scowled.

"Comon' Snape, join in!" Said Tonks.

"I'd rather not."

"Loosen up a bit, you know, there is this little thing called 'fun.'"

Snape cocked an eyebrow, and Tonks shrugged and hummed "Deck the Halls," as she dusted cobwebs off the corners of the walls.

"Maybe if Snape got drunk he'd sing," Ron muttered to Harry. "We should exchange his butterbeer with firewhisky and get a camera."

Harry sniggered silently, careful not to look at Snape, or he might burst out laughing imagining Snape dancing on the table, singing to Spice Girls. Even worse, Snape singing "Silent Night."

(AN: Bursts out laughing, picturing the image myself. Silent night is a pretty song, but Snape singing it would be hilarious.)

-~*~-

K, done with this chapter. I'm going to take a break for about three days, possibly. Sorry, I have just had a lot going on.


	26. Sirius's Room

Voldemort was kneeling before Harry in an old urethral building, made from stone that was now ancient and crumbling. There was a long, elaborate staff in the corner, protected by a magical shield, to which neither Harry nor Voldemort could touch it. The stained, eerie glass windows were showing paintings of the death and destruction the staff produced, meant to scare it's visitors away, and several crows cawed from wooden planks on the ceiling that supported the building.

"I'm sorry, I'll repent for what I've done, I swear! Please take pity!" Voldemort crooned, his head bowed. Harry didn't seem to notice the insidious smirk Voldemort held under his slimy sheet of hair.

"You are truly pathetic," Harry spat, his wand pointed towards Voldemort's heart.

"No Harry, I think you have it backwards," Voldemort looked up, holding a smug expression. It was an expression of triumph. "You are the one who is pathetic," Voldemort said, as he snatched the wand from Harry's hand, and broke it in two.

Harry's mouth opened and closed, but no empty threats could be spoken, since what Harry felt now was pure terror. The terror seized him. Harry glanced on the grounds of the ancient building. Several bodies of friends and foes lay around him, and Dumbledore was one of them, a boulder the size of a minivan lay on his back. Voldemort seized this opportunity to aim his wand at Harry's heart.

"Now it's time that you die. You have thwarted me far too often. Good bye, Harry, Avada Kedavra!"

The flash of green light hit Harry squarely in the chest, with such force it pulled him backwards into a veil of darkness, and Harry knew he was dead, for no warmth was emitting from his body, and he couldn't hear or see anything. Harry tried to speak, but no words came from his mouth.

-~*~-

Harry snapped awake. It was the fourth time that the nightmare shrouded his original dreams. He sincerely hoped he wasn't prophesizing. Brushing his hair from his eyes, Harry groped around the lamp on the bedside table for his glasses. White-hot pain was searing down Harry's forehead, but Harry didn't pay much notice to it. Instead, he got up and walked down stairs for breakfast.

"Hello there, Harry! What do you want for breakfast?" Asked Mrs. Weasley, wearing a red apron, spatula in hand.

"You're too happy for this early in the morning," mumbled Harry with a glance towards his wristwatch that read 6:25 AM.

"My sentiments exactly," Snape muttered from behind him.

"I guess eggs and toast would be fine," Harry answered vaguely, and sat at the table, head in his hands.

"You alright?" Ron asked Harry as he sat down. Mrs. Weasley was humming by the oven, flipping pancakes, and a large crash from upstairs told Harry that Tonks was awake.

"Yeah, I'm fine…just bloody fine…"

"Er…are you sure? Your eyes are all puffy."

"Yes, I'm fine Ron, thanks."

Snape was looking at Harry oddly, which made him suspect that he had secretly come up and use Legilimens on him while he wasn't looking. Harry turned his eyes back to the table, and began to thumb a crack in it. Suddenly, Snape was standing within Harry's peripheral vision, so Harry turned his head towards the blinking, glittering Christmas tree.

Harry jumped as a plate was thrown in front of him, with two pancakes, toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs.

Harry only ate a piece of bacon and took a bite from the toast, said he was full and scurried off.

"I'm worried about him," said Mrs. Weasley, "he seems so sick lately."

"Yeah, I'm worried about him too," Muttered Ron, "Harry's never full."

Harry walk dup the stairs, heading towards his room, but the doorknob on the other end of the hall caught his eye. Sirius's room. Harry walked towards it, and reached out for the handle.

As Harry opened the door, he found the whole room nearly dust covered. It was obviously the room tha had been missing an occupant for several months. Harry sneezed, and glanced towards the scratch marks on the floor. He wondered where Buckbeak was now. He wondered where Kreacher was now, but remembered seeing an extra head added to the wall.

A journal lay on a desk in the corner of the room. Harry walked towards it and lifted it off the desk, blowing dust off the cover.

"The ancient and most noble house of Black,

The diary of Sirius black,"

The writing was in elegant scarlet writing and the cover was the color black. As Harry flipped it open, all of the pages were black. Harry groped in a desk drawer, and pull out a quill and some ink. Harry scratched on it,

"I am your godson, Harry Potter,"

But the words did not disappear, and new words didn't appear under them. It merely stayed the way it was. Harry sighed in aggravation, crumpled the paper, and threw it in the nearby trash bin. 

-~*~-

Another chapter finished, Huzzah Huzzah.


	27. Godric's Hollow

Ron was madly shaking Harry awake, and Harry opened his eyes, blinking in the light. Outside, beautiful, silver crystals of snow fell from the heavens to the ground below.

"Merry Christmas!" Said Ron cheerfully, yanking a present from the pile and rattling it next to his ear, as if trying to guess the present before opening it. Harry yawned and kicked the cozy covers off, looking at his mound of presents.

Harry grinned eagerly, rubbing his hands together and blowing into them as if he were standing outside. Harry received a twelve-pack of Butterbeer and a box of Honeyduke's best chocolates from the order, Firewhisky, year 1993 from the Weasley twins. "The sign of manhood…" they had written on the cover, followed by, "Ickle Ronnikins doesn't get any, tee-hee!"

Harry grinned, popping open the cap and taking a swig, but not finding it as pleasant as he had imagined it to be. It tasted bitter and strong, like black coffee with no flavoring. Placing the cap back on, Harry tossed the bottle to Ron.

He found a knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley, and wand-polishing kit. Several books came from others, and Harry got bright orange quidditch robes from ron, along with a large peacock quill from Hermione, that reminded him too much of Professor Lockhart, but a china cup and a letter from Lupin intrigued him the most.

DO NOT TOUCH THE GIFT YET. It's a portkey. Tell me when you're ready to go, and we can go together.

Harry scratched his head in curiosity, and then went to ask Lupin about it.

"I'm not going to tell you yet, Harry, patience is a virtue. Are you ready to leave?"

Harry nodded, and reached out to grab the china cup. A tug behind his navel lurched Harry forwards in a spinning vortex of time and space, until Harry finally landed near a house that jogged his memory, but he couldn't place a finger on it.

"Where are we?"

"We are in Godric's Hollow, Harry. Notice we've fixed it up a bit since you--er—_Voldemort _blew it up? We tried to leave it the same the best we could. Sirius could almost remember their house exactly, down to the last dust speck. We fixed it up a while ago just before Sirius…"

Harry allowed Lupin to trail off, as he looked in awe at the house he had once lived in as a child. It was fairly large, only one-story and with cathedral ceilings, and the house was made of misshapen stones. The house was surrounded with colorful redwood trees, and with a colorful mailbox, that replaced the wilted flowers that may have once been full of life.

"Neither of us had a great green thumb," said Lupin dryly, noticing Harry looking at the dead flowerbed. "We were thinking of having Arabella come down here to fix it up. She's a great gardener."

Harry stepped towards the pathway leading to the house, and he walked up the porch steps. He felt like his throat wouldn't work. It seemed like he would ruin the moment to speak. He reached out towards the handle, and the door creaked merrily as it opened, as if happy to see another person.

The floorboards were polished almost to a point where they sparkled, and a vase in the corner on a forest-green table looked as though it had once been broken and glued back together. Harry walked down the hallway, Lupin trailing behind him, as he ran a finger down the wall.

As he entered the kitchen, Harry spotted a blender on the counter, and an old fashioned toaster in the corner. There was no microwave, but there was a stove that had turned a crème color with age. Harry entered the living room, met again with another old-fashioned electrical object—the television, with the antennas sticking out at the back. A cushioned rocking chair was in the corner, knitting still in a wad, and a squashy couch in front of the fireplace and TV.

Harry turned another corner, and Lupin made no interruption to Harry's exploring. Harry entered the first bedroom, and grinned, finding that it was his own. There sat another rocking chair in the corner, and about three toy boxes, a baby blue cradle, and a pale blue dresser. The walls were white, but little snitches bordered the room. _I should've known, _Harry thought, looking at the mobile that had little broomsticks and quaffles above the crib, _my dad probably expected me to be a chaser. _

He entered his parent's room, rich with deep scarlet and gold, and an old trunk sitting in front of the bed. He spotted pictures of Sirius and Remus, along with pictures of himself, and a picture of his parents wedding sitting on the two bedside tables. Harry turned back to Remus and grinned,

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," said Lupin, "We enjoyed making the house a house again, instead of a pile of rubble. You can consider it yours. That is, once you're of age."

-~*~-

Awww, I made it all nice and sappy. Didn't know how Harry would respond, so being the lazy author I am, I kinda ended it there. I deleted the repetitive chapters. I don't know what happened to the original chapters that once were there, but oh well. You guys probably noticed many spelling errors and grammatical errors in the last chapter. Sorry about that, it was late that night.

Must-stop-procrastinating-on-my-two-reports-due-Monday…


	28. Imposter

**Author's Notes: **A bit of a longer chapter today…I hope you like it!

-~*~-

Harry was heading back to Hogwarts with a heavy heart. He rather missed the decorations, Mrs. Weasley, Lupin, and the rest of the Order members. In fact, he was having nearly the same dreading feeling of returning to Hogwarts as he had the previous year while Umbridge was taking over the school. As the Hogwarts Express descended, screeching to a loud halt, Harry stepped off, holding his trunk and Hedwig's cage. He had left Isis in Lupin's care, and said that once he was out of Hogwarts, it would be easier to have her again. He carefully told Isis why he had to leave, but she merrily hooted back at him, as if thrilled with changing her owner for a while. This, of course, saddened Harry slightly, but ignored the feeling.

The sense of foreboding and impending doom seemed to emit heavily from the castle, as Harry neared the main gates, and Harry had never thought Hogwarts looked scary. He always thought Hogwarts looked warm and cozy. Not homely, but comfortable, but now…with gray clouds hanging over head and a gentle flurry of snow falling towards the ground, the castle looked slightly less than treacherous.

Hermione and Ron were talking vigorously and animatedly behind Harry, and a twinge of jealousy hit him. With the pair of them together, Harry knew this was silly, but he felt like a third wheel. "Great," Harry mumbled lowly, so Ron and Hermione couldn't hear him, "I'm becoming a sadist. Next thing I know, I'll have greasy hair and I'll be hanging over a moldy cauldron…"

"What was that, Harry?" Asked Hermione hurriedly, as though she thought Harry was talking about her.

"Nothing," replied Harry unceremoniously, as he looked towards Hagrid's cabin. At the moment, he would rather be in there than in the Hogwarts castle, so Harry said, "You go on without me, I'll be back soon," and he promptly took off towards the hut, with smoke billowing blithely out of the chimney.

Harry pounded on Hagrid's door. "Hagrid, it's me!"

The sound of a mad barking was heard, followed by a click-clack of Fang's toenails running across the floor, then a sound like several quiet rolls of thunder, and the door creaked open.

"It's 'Arry!" Exclaimed Hagrid, as if guests were inside.

"Hey," Harry replied lazily as he stepped in. Hagrid smiled, wrinkling the corners of his eyes, and closed the door behind him.

'How've yeh been?" Hagrid asked, taking his tray of crumb cakes from the oven, and placing it on the table. One of them rolled off the tray and bounced off the floor like a rubber ball. "Want one?"

"I'm fine, and er…sure, why not?" Harry replied, watching Hagrid bring him a crumb-cake from the corner of his eye. Harry bit into it, and resisted the urge of contorting his face and spitting it out. "How's Grawp?" Harry asked, vigorously chewing at the cake, which was resilient like bubble gum.

Hagrid shook Harry off, "Oh, he's fine. His temper has gone down quite a bit. I'm worried 'bout you, though. Are you okay? Yeh look a tad peaky."

"Yeah, I'm fine…just the normal you-know-who things," Harry replied casually, as if it didn't bother him. It did, but he didn't want to talk about it. What scared him was, that if the dreams were a prophecy, then Harry would be telling Hagrid that he was going to fail. And Hagrid would most certainly tell Dumbledore. Harry didn't want Dumbledore to feel like the only person that could bring down Voldemort could fail him. Harry didn't want Dumbledore to know that the end of the world could be near.

But then again…why did Harry also prophesize about Voldemort's death? Maybe he wasn't supposed to know who won. Pushing the thought from his brain, Harry took another bite from the cake, instantly gluing his mouth together.

As Hagrid talked, Harry would nod animatedly, as he desperately tried to scrape the cake off of the roof of his mouth with his tongue. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, I got Buckbeak back!" Hagrid said.

Harry nodded slowly. Now he knew where Buckbeak was. But Hagrid took his slow nodding the wrong way.

"Oh, I'm sorry 'Arry—"

"No, you're fine, I just didn't know where Buckbeak was."

"Want ter' see 'im?" Asked Hagrid, almost eagerly.

"Uh, thanks anyways," Harry said with a glance towards his watch, "But it's almost curfew."

"Ah," Hagrid replied disappointedly, "Well, it was nice seeing yeh, Harry!"

Harry nodded and waved, as he headed back towards the melancholy castle.

"Hey, where were you during dinner?" Asked Draco as Harry was striding quickly down the corridor.

"Hagrid's," answered Harry shortly.

"What for?" Draco pressed nosily.

"No particular reason," Harry answered, "Just visiting."

(That's just a filler cause I almost forgot about Draco.)

-~*~-

Harry could barely be seen from behind the monstrous pile of books piled in front of him as he studied. Ron walked in the Gryffindor common room, and spotting the enormous pile of books, he walked over.

"Hey Hermione, have you seen Harry anywhere?"

Harry poked his head over the books and said, "Harry is right here."

Ron blushed and said, "Oh, hey there, I thought you were Hermione because of the books."

"Yeah, well…what'd you need?"

"Nothing really, just asking whether you were going to Hogsmeade today or not," said Ron.

"Probably not…" answered Harry slowly, as if still deciding. "I'm studying for NEWTS."

"You're like Hermione, studying months away from when we're actually _doing _the NEWTS. Actually, _Hermione _hasn't even started yet."

"You're right," said Harry, closing his book shut. "I guess I'll go. I just didn't want to end up cramming it all in my head last minute."

-~*~-

Harry awkwardly stood against the wall, watching the dancers swirl about in Dragon's Hide. The Weird Sisters were on stage, singing a pop song Harry didn't necessarily care for. Ron and Hermione were dancing, and Harry was stuck on the sidelines. About seven girls asked him to dance, but he politely refused each one, tapping his foot with impatience. Finally pushing himself from the wall, Harry walked over to the counter, sitting of a stool topped with shiny red leather.

A young girl was positioned behind it, her frazzled blonde hair falling from its ponytail. She looked up, eyes widening like saucers. Seeing it coming, Harry said,

"Yes, I'm Harry Potter. Can I have a butterbeer please?"

"O-Oh, sorry for staring, I was just startled and all," she said. "Here you go, that'll be three sickles please."

Harry nodded, handing her the money, and sipped the bottle she handed to him, instantly feeling the warmth spread to his fingers and toes.

"Hey, can I have your autograph?"

Draco just _had _to be there at that moment, but not seeing him, Harry said, "er…do I have to?"

"Passing out autographs again, Potter?" Draco said, elbowing him and smirking sardonically. Harry glared at Draco coldly. "Sheesh, sorry, you don't need to get touchy. I'll have a butterbeer," Draco said to the bartender, passing her three silver coins.

"Hey Harry, come on!" Harry heard Ron shout.

"It's about bloody time," Harry mumbled to Draco, stepping down from his stool.

"What took you so long?" Asked Harry, as he joined up with Ron and Hermione.

"We were busy dancing," said Ron, indignantly.

"No, really?" Harry said sarcastically.

"Shut up Harry." Ron mumbled, cheeks tinged red.

-~*~-

"Oi, Fred, George, what're you doing here?" Hollered Ron from across the room as the twins stumbled into Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, snow drifting into the middle of the room.

Harry started to poke at a slimy green substance inside of a jar, not noticing the warning label, (In bold, bright red letters.)

Suddenly, the twins started into a large fit of laughter, pointing at Harry.

"What?" Asked Harry.

Now Ron was joining in, along with a few people Harry didn't know well. He looked down at his hands, finding them green, and then glanced towards a fun-house mirror on the wall, and minus the fact of being short and fat (not too different from Dudley,) Harry had turned green. Harry laughed in spite of himself.

"How long does it last?" Asked Harry as the twins walked over, still grinning stupidly at him.

(AN: And now it has dawned on me. I have forgotten the twins during Christmas season in Potter-world. Forgive me, and just imagine that they were there, K?)

"Oh, about a half an hour," said Fred with a glance towards his wristwatch.

"Could be worse, I suppose," Harry said, shrugging.

"Yeah, it could have. If you poked the blue stuff over there, you'd be a smurf for an entire day," Said George.

"If you poked the orange stuff over there you'd be orange for a week…of course that wouldn't be _that _terrible. It would just look like you were experimenting with a tanning charm." Joined in Fred.

"…And if you poked the yellow stuff over there, you'd be yellow for a month," said George.

"I get the point!" said Harry.

"…And that red stuff over there? You'd be red for a YEAR!" They said together.

"Are you two telepathic or something?" Asked Ron, but he was ignored.

"Anyways, we came down to see how Jordan was running the shop."

As if on cue, Jordan instantly popped in next to them, startling Harry. "What're you two doing here?"

"Checking up on you," Said Fred, grinning.

Harry suddenly spotted a poster of himself winking and snapping his thumb on the wall. He blinked once—twice—

"What in Merlin's name is _that?"_

"Have you never looked in a mirror, Harry?" Asked Fred, looking at him like Harry was a moron.

"No—I mean, yes, but I mean why do you have a poster of me on the wall?!"

"You shouldn't be complaining," Ron piped in, but was quieted with a glare from Harry.

"Why, you're our sponsor!" George said, as if it were obvious.

"I don't want to be your sponsor!" Harry cried indignantly.

"A little too late for that!" Said Fred merrily.

"Well fine then, just don't make me wink like that…you're making me look like Lockhart."

"Alright then," Fred exclaimed, suspiciously eagerly. With a flick of Fred's wand, poster-Harry instantly had a finger shoved up his nose, and his eyes were crossed.

"Touché!" Said George to Fred, but Harry, with a cry of indignation, flicked his own wand and Fred and George were on the poster themselves.

They each laughed, and said, "There's a billboard of you in Diagon Alley."

"WHAT?!"

"We were just kidding, jeez, temper, temper, Harry." 

Harry grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Temper my arse…"

-~*~-

Finally back at Hogwarts, Harry was walking down the hallway alone, and he head footsteps behind him. Swiveling around, he saw Dumbledore turning the corner.

"Hello Harry," he called. Something wasn't right about him. 

"Er…hi," said Harry uncertainly. "What do you want?"

"I was wondering if you remembered the prophecy," he said, hands gripping his sleeves. Red lights started to flare inside Harry's head.

Gathering a lie, Harry said, "Yeah, it said I was the one to defeat Voldemort next year."

Almost jumping in surprise, Dumbledore hissed, "What?!"

"…And that everybody killed by Voldemort would be brought back to life." Said Harry, lying smoothly.

"That can't be true, nobody can bring back the dead!"

"Well, it _is _what you told me."

"O-Oh, right…"

"Hey, would you mind taking me back to your office? I want to show you something." Harry said suspiciously. 

"W-Well, no H-Harry, I've g-got work to attend to…"

"Sucker," said Harry. "Stupefy!"

-~*~-

I've been procrastinating on review responses…sorry, I'll get to them later. But I do have something to say to a review.

James was actually a chaser. In the MOVIE, he was a seeker, but I don't like the movies. I'm going by the books, which state that James originally was a chaser. :)


	29. Possession

"Potter!" shouted Snape as he came around the corner. "What the—"

"This isn't the real Dumbledore, Sir." Harry said quickly.

"And how might you know that?"

"You'll see. We may have to wait for about another hour though."

"What're you—"

But Harry was already dragging Dumbledore's body into another classroom. "Professor, I know I'm not one to give orders or anything, but I'm pretty sure you'd want to get a bottle of veritaserum." 

"Potter, explain to me what you think is going on in that little head of yours," said Snape.

"If my suspicions are right, we might be able to clear Sirius, Sir. And if this _really _was Dumbledore, do you think I'd be able to knock him out?"

Snape paused. "If Dumbledore posed as a threat, then yes, you could very easily. But, I'm going to trust your judgment. If you're not here when I return—"

"I'll be a nice addition to one of your potions, or something along those lines." Harry interrupted impatiently. Harry slowly brought his wand and kept it at a steady point at the one who was supposedly Dumbledore. "He won't move from this spot."

"Very well. Stay put." And with that, Snape hurried out of the classroom. Wind slowly swirled in through an open window. Harry noted that the snow was beginning to melt. Finally, Dumbledore's features began to change. He grew much shorter, and began to get plumper, his gray hair slowly morphing into a brown with gray patches and bald spots. Harry's eyes hardened at the sight of Wormtail. 

"Stupid bastard," Harry mumbled to Wormtail.

Snape finally came in, and looked amazed. "No wonder you knew it wasn't Dumbledore. Wormtail is the worst liar if I ever knew one. My question is: why would Voldemort send this cretin to do his work? Malfoy probably would've been better at acting like Dumbledore."

"That's why I suggested the veritaserum. Voldemort probably planted a bomb in him or something."

Snape said nothing, and tipped Wormtail's (fat, stupid, ugly…) head back, rather roughly pouring the veritaserum down his throat, and muttered, "Ennervate."

Wormtail's eyes fluttered open with a blank expression. Harry, apparently taking over the situation, asked, "Why did you pose as Dumbledore to get the prophecy?"

"The Dark Lord ordered me to find the prophecy in whatever means necessary or I will die," he took a long, shuddering breath, and continued in his dull, monotonic expression. "I couldn't find anything on it. Potter smashed the prophecy. So I went to last resorts. If Potter were as gullible as The Dark Lord said he was, it would've been easy. And so it was. I managed to get the prophecy out of him."

Snape threw a look towards Harry, but Harry only grinned.

Wormtail's head lolled lazily to the side. Harry sneered at him, but then the door opened again, revealing the real Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Lupin.

Dumbledore looked mildly amused, McGonagall put a hand to her mouth in shock, and Lupin merely looked hopeful at the traitor, wondering if Peter could be given the kiss.

"You _told _Wormtail the prophecy, Potter?" Snape asked, finally getting the chance to speak.

"No," Harry sniffed. "I'm not _that _stupid. He will be giving Voldemort fake information—if he returns to him and isn't sentence death or something." Harry paused. "D' you know how odd it is stunning a fake Dumbledore?"

-~*~-

**Peter Pettigrew…alive?**

_"We have just been notified that the Peter Pettigrew is, in fact, alive. Harry Potter claims to have known it since his third year at Hogwarts, when Sirius Black was rumored out to murder him. In fact, as Harry claims, Sirius was actually after Pettigrew, an unregistered animagus, who was the real one who betrayed his parents for Voldemort. Peter Pettigrew had received help from James Potter and Sirius Black through school in perfecting becoming an animagi. Pettigrew had finally, successful transformed into a rat…"_

Harry skipped through, knowing all of this already.

_"The trial for Pettigrew will be held August 30th, next year. As for Sirius? We have also heard that Sirius died, protecting Harry Potter from Voldemort. We only wish that he may rest in peace, and that we are truly sorry for the inconvenience…"_

Harry snorted into his pumpkin juice. "Sorry my rump…they're not sorry."

Hermione and Ron exchanged looks. Owls began to soar in from the windows, wind rustling their feathers, and each of them dropped letters to their masters. (Or other sorts of 'presents.')

Nothing came for Harry, but he hadn't expected it anyways. Taking a last swig from his pumpkin juice, Harry jumped from the table, Hermione and Ron soon to join him, and walked out the door.

Suddenly, pain shot through Harry's skull, like somebody had just swung a hammer into his forehead. Harry cried out, his bag flinging in front of him, scattering parchment and quills—and Harry started to clutch his forehead.

"Harry!" Cried Hermione, reaching forward to grab his shoulder. Harry slapped her hand away. As he stood to look at her, his eyes began to gleam red.

"Back off, mudblood."

Hermione's mouth opened into a gasp, but Ron grabbed her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Her eyes widened and she nodded.

"Leave Harry alone, V-V-Voldemort," said Ron angrily, figuring it out instantly, and shakily saying the name. But when _talking_ to you-know-who, it's kind of silly to call him you-know-who.

"Ah, so it didn't take much for you to figure it out." Harry laughed. "I could probably make Harry commit suicide by killing you both here and now—"

"Why would Harry commit suicide? He's stronger than that." Hermione declared, glaring furiously at Harry.

Harry laughed again. "Do you honestly think that Harry wouldn't kill himself after he technically killed his two best friends? If you want to be killed, don't worry, that will be arranged soon, but I'm going to need both of you later. I'm planning a killing-spree in Harry's body in a moment, if you will. Wormtail was a fool—walking into Hogwarts, pretending to be Dumbledore. Harry knows Dumbledore…he's seen enough of him to know if somebody's an imposter, and Wormtail…he was stupid to even try.  No matter, he was worthless anyways."

Laughing again, Harry continued, "Though I won't kill you now, I do need to render you unconscious for awhile. Can't have you running after the real Dumbledore, can I?" He smiled in a lop-sided grin, making Harry look sinister and evil. He made his wand glow purple, and stroked them both in the chest. 

Harry killed a first year, and she screamed loudly and dramatically before getting shot by a bright green light. Then, a very livid and flabbergasted McGonagall stampeded down the hall. "Mr. Potter! How _could _you?!" It wasn't until she saw the gleam of red in Harry's eyes that made her understand. "Voldemort," she said in shock.

"Ahh, McGonagall…how I've always hated you…especially in school," Harry said, the red, animalistic gleam still in his eyes. Harry stroked his wand, stopped, and pointed it directly in the middle of her forehead. "It's your death day, I'm afraid."

Something made him drop his wand, and he smiled. "Ah, Potter here is trying to fight me. He's pretty good at it, actually. I had to keep a good hold on my wand to kill a _first year."_

Harry bent down to pick up the wand, but as soon as he stood up, the wand was dropped again. Then, Harry doubled over, clutching his scar and his stomach at the same time.

Looking quite mad, Harry thrashed, saying, "Get out of my head!"

McGonagall tried to reach out, but then drew it back again, fighting with herself whether she should interfere or not. Harry stopped thrashing, but had a very pained and disgusted look cross his face. He heaved himself off the floor, running to the bathroom, and covered his mouth. McGonagall flinched at the muffled spluttering noises that were made.

-~*~-

It had been several days since Hermione and Ron woke up in the hospital wing. Harry skipped several classes to either see them, or to take stroll along the edge of the lake. None of the teachers seemed brave enough to stop him from doing so, even Snape. Dumbledore certainly wasn't even going to try to keep him there, deciding it was best for Harry to get a chance to breathe whenever needed.

Harry felt the worst of all. Blue and purple bags began to form under his eyes from lack of sleep; his eyes were bloodshot, and his hair looked even messier before--if that were even possible. Harry felt like standing right in front of the Whomping Willow, letting it beat him to a bloody pulp. Or maybe hiding inside of it.

Harry slammed his head against the tree he was under, but instantly regretted it as his hand clutched the goose egg forming on the back of his head.

It had spread through the school that Harry Potter killed several innocent first years, and now they were all giving him clearly disgusted looks. One of them said, "You're sick, Potter. A first year? What did they ever do to you?"

Harry wouldn't reply.

Harry wanted Hermione and Ron to be awake. He wanted _somebody _to understand. Besides the Hogwarts staff, anyways. Harry wondered if he could ever be happy with Voldemort around, haunting him, whispering to him what Harry had done. Showing Harry the scream the first year made as she died.

Dumbledore told Harry it wasn't his fault. Harry had snorted in reply. They teachers looked at Harry and shook their heads in sympathy. The students sneered at Harry saying, "Maybe you are the heir of Slytherin after all."

Harry felt a great wave of relief when Dumbledore gravely explained what happened, everyone then bowed their heads to the lost first year, but Harry still felt guilty, and felt as though the student's death was his fault. Even if the students weren't blaming Harry for the death anymore, they began skirting him in the halls, whispering, and every time Harry turned around they would scatter, looking at the ceilings.

"Hey Potter," said Draco.

"Hi," replied Harry dully.

"You okay? You don't look so good."

"No."

Draco sighed with impatience, wondering how to get Harry to stop being so dramatic and depressed without showing he cared.

"You know, nobody blames you anymore," he said finally.

"Do you have a point?"

"I'm _trying _to help here!"

"Sorry."

"You know, Potter, this is being selfish of you to the people out there that care for you—"

"Selfish? How am I selfish if I have no life of my own? Voldemort practically controls my damn life, and I'm going to die anyways, so what's the point?"

"Oh, is that it? You're just going to give up, are you?"

"Maybe."

"Potter! Get a freaking grip on reality! None of our lives are fair, but Voldemort _doesn't _control your life. You can make your own choices. So what if he possesses you? It's HIM doing the dirty work, not you. He just happens to be in control of your body. And I know for a fact that Voldemort will lose. Honestly, when has there ever been a time that evil has won?"

"I know…it's just…"

"Just make the right choice, Potter. Being depressed isn't helping any of us, considering we're already depressed. Lighten up a bit, and everything will be fine."

Harry gave him a wry smile, even though it felt odd, considering Harry hadn't smiled for ages, it seemed like.

-~*~-

Angsty…Man I'm getting really depressing, aren't I? Must be because of winter…all the leaves are falling off the trees, and I have a cold. Sure, I like snow as much as the next person, but considering it hasn't snowed yet, it looks really depressing outside.


	30. Normality

'Ya know how cool it is to type on your computer in your own room? I have beanie babies and care bears scattered all over my desk, computer, and speakers. ;)

Harry is a tad darker, only because I feel he needs to be. Like I said; I have a lot more editing to do.

-~*~-

"Voldemort has become desperate," started Dumbledore for the Order meeting. Harry was beginning to nod off already. "We have already had two assaults in less than a week, and I believe that soon, he will try to do something drastic."

Harry didn't point out that Voldemort has already done something drastic.

"What allies do we have?" Asked Lupin.

"Not many," said Dumbledore sadly. "We've tried getting dragons, but they won't cooperate, we do have werewolves on out side, thanks to you, centaurs will not help in any way at all, house elves at Hogwarts are glad to be of assistance, thestrals, phoenixes, several elves, dwarfs will make us weapons, Hogwart's ghosts, only a few giants, and possibly a few merfolk, but Voldemort has much, much more on his side."

"I take it we're not in good standing then?" Commented Harry dryly.

"No Harry, we're not."

-~*~-

"Hello Harry," said Ron in an overly cheerful voice. Hermione was standing next to him, looking quite weak.

"Hey," replied Harry, "Are you okay, Hermione?"

"Yes, yes…I'm fine, just two blows with that one spell can do a number on you."

"Sorry."

"It isn't your fault, you twit, so quit apologizing to me!"

"Might as well let me get it out of my system," Harry grinned. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry..."

-~*~-

Tension had increased in the air through Hogwarts, as the NEWT and OWL exams loomed ever closer towards the fifth and sixth years. Hermione was piling over books, Ron had about one or two books in each hand, and Harry simply didn't care.

Taking the sadistic point of view, Harry said, "Well, I'll die anyway, so what's the point?"

(AN: Damn, I'm being depressing. I'm sorry! It's just that time of year, I guess.)

"Harry you twit, will you stop saying that?"

"Well, it's true. I'm an idiot running around jabbing myself in the eye with my wand, while Voldemort is a real expert."

Ron coughed, hiding his laugh, considering this is a real issue. Harry continued.

"I just stand around like a mime when everybody else is protecting me from Voldemort or being killed by Voldemort or falling into anonymous veils of death."

"Well Harry, you can continue talking to yourself with this dramatic nonsense, but I have to study."

Hermione snorted over her books.

"You? Study? Honestly, you study about as much as Grawp does."

Harry laughed at his friend's expense.

"Yeah? Well, you _don't_ study about as much as…uh…a Ravenclaw does when it's…er…raining…er…never mind."

-~*~-

Harry was skipping stones into the lake when Draco stopped by.

"Come to torment the poor squid?" asked Harry.

"No, I'll do that later. Actually, I might just feed it Colin. Stupid kid flashed his camera in my eyes…"

"Why?"

"He said my hair was abnormally shiny…"

Harry snorted loudly, and turned it into a long series of coughs.

"Doing okay about you-know-what?" Draco asked, obviously wanting to change the subject.

(AN: If some of you have forgotten, Draco is a good guy now. I like a nice Draco. Shows the fact not all Slytherins are bad.)

"Yeah," Harry said. "I've gotten over it."

"That's good," Harry noticed that Draco had an odd look of understanding.

"What about you? Why was your father…er…sacrificing you to Voldemort?"

Draco's eyes hardened. "Don't you go referring to him as my father. He's not a father." He said vehemently, and then continued. "Voldemort said that he learned a spell to suck magic from his victims. It's what he has been doing lately to any of his victims, but he wanted to test it out on someone first. My fa— Lucius, most likely immediately, suggested that I be the one sacrificed first. He came to the manor, and told me that I was to be sacrificed to the Dark Lord. I told him no. He said that I should be honored to die loyal under the hands of my master, and when I objected, he put me in a binding spell, carried my to Voldemort, and told him I was full of life and power. Then, almighty Dumbledore came to my rescue, and so on, so forth."

"Are you…already marked by Voldemort? You father said that he was your master too…"

"You're too nosy for your own good." Draco lifted up his sleeve, and the crude dark mark was etched into it. "Something to show the ladies, eh?"

Harry prodded it with his finger, and instantly it vanished. His finger then immediately drew back, as if burned, Then stared at his scorched skin surrounding his fingernail.

"H-How did you…?" Draco couldn't finish as he ran his finger up and down the arm that once contained the dark mark for several years.

"I don't know," said Harry. "I have short—really short spasms of power. Sometimes they last for a few days, some last only for seconds, then I'm back to my original amount of power."

(To you older readers—I have made a lot of changes. There was no transformation, the clown bite didn't release anything, etc…)

"Potter, even you-know-who can't remove _his own mark."_

"Really? He can't remove the mark he makes? You'd think he knows how…"

"Potter, this is serious!"

"He's alive?" Harry grinned at Draco as he blinked. Suddenly, Draco got Harry's pun.

"No, I wasn't talking about him," he waved at Harry impatiently with a hand. "Stop joking around, will you?"

"Alright, alright. Yes, I made your mark disappear, surprise, surprise, now I'm getting cold and I want to go back in."

Draco sighed exasperatedly and followed Harry to the castle. Harry, however, was looking somewhere else. There were no lights coming from Hagrid's cabin, no smoke from the chimney, and no footsteps surrounding the area.

-~*~-

Dum dum dum…what happened to Hagrid? Who knows! Not even I know.

Okay, I lightened Harry's mood a bit, so there. And to reviewee number 287, Rikumasan, it brings pleasure to my eyes to see long reviews such as yours. I know there are some things to work on, but I thank you very much. Not only for the enlightening on how to fix up my story, but for the wonderful comments. Thank you bunches!


	31. Terrorism

Okay, if I confuse you two much, you may want to reverse and re-read a few of my past chapters. Especially chapter (6, I believe) called Astonishing Facts, and read Dumbledore's letter. Changes were added to that chapter, and to a few other chapters as well.

**EDIT: OMYGAHHH! I'm sorry people, I thought NEWTS were in sixth year, because Fred and George were saying that 7th year was useless and all in the 5th book, I'm sorry, lol. So, I'm re-doing this chapter too.**

Man, and I had my next chapter written out too…

-~*~-

"Canary Creams," Harry told the two gargoyles as he headed towards Dumbledore's office.

"He knocked on Dumbledore's office door, and a muffled, "Come in," was heard.

"Professor Dumbledore, where's Hagrid?"

"Noticed, have you? He is trying to gather more giants. I told him it didn't seem proper for him to leave during the middle of the year, but he said that he wanted to find a mate for his brother, and he figured that he should try to send word to more of the giants. On his spare time, he was trying to learn how to speak in the giants' language, so that he could communicate with more of them."

"I hope he comes back okay," Harry said.

"Don't worry, Harry he will. Hagrid knows how far to go before a giant gets mad. There have been a few close calls, but he will find a way out. Madame Maxime didn't come though. She said she had duties to attend to."

Harry nodded as another thought approached his mind.

"What do you think Voldemort is going to do next? I'd say he's getting desperate to do anything to kill me, or find out how to defeat me."

"There is no telling what he'd do next. He is entirely unpredictable, but I don't think there is any reason to worry, Harry, I am sure you'll defeat him."

Harry looked downwards, recalling his dream where Voldemort had defeated him. Dumbledore leaned forwards, and said, "What are you hiding from me, Harry?"

"I've seen something in my dreams. What if I told you there was a possibility that I'll die?"

"It won't happen," Dumbledore said stiffly, as if trying to convince himself as well. "Recall anything you may have done wrong in your vision, and fix the mistake. Do not let yourself die Harry. The world needs you."

-~*~-

[dream sequence, incase italics don't work. Again.]

"NO!" A woman screamed, "Don't kill her, please take me, my money, my house, anything, just please don't hurt Jessica!"

"She dared to defy me," Voldemort hissed." She spat in my face, and for that, she is going to die."

"NO!" the woman wailed, turning around to shield her child who was crying on the floor. "I'll give you anything, just please don't take her! Jessica's my whole life…just please…take me instead…" 

"Where would the fun be in that?" Voldemort grinned.

_"N-No, please…anything…"_

_Voldemort flung her aside, and a sickening crack sounded throughout the room as he head collided with the wall._

_"Now, it is your turn," Voldemort said, pointing the wand at Jessica, she sniffed, and defiantly said,_

_"I'm not afraid of death, Voldemort, you'll get yours. And I think I know just the boy who will kill you in the end. When you kill me, leave my mother alone."_

_Voldemort thought she showed too much maturity for her age. He hissed, "Avada Kedavra,"_

_He then walked to her mother and said, "Evapore vita," but as he said it, a mysterious shield blocked the spell. Voldemort cursed in fury, leaving the house in ruins._

_He looked at the destruction around him as he left the house, and welcomed it in open arms. It was another annihilated village, this one was full of both magical folk and muggles, but alike one another, they were all lying dead on the ground. Voldemort looked longingly at the large temple located on the hill that the village surrounded, and began to stride towards it._

-~*~-

Harry woke up with cold sweat pouring down his forehead, mourning light shining in the dormitory. Harry rubbed his scar, but Harry quickly drew his hand away. As he touched it, if felt like a hot frying pan on the stove.

Harry wrote a letter to Dumbledore,

_Dear Professor,_

_I know what I am doing, and don't let yourself or the order, or even Ron or Hermione to follow. I'm taking your advice on changing the dream. Therefore, none of you will be coming with me, and I'm going to make sure I don't fall for the same trick I did in my vision. Don't let anybody follow. I will come back, no matter what it takes._

_-Harry._

He folded the letter in thirds and stuck it in his pocket. Nobody was in the common room, so Harry figured they were each at breakfast. He speedily got dressed, and strapped a belt to his pants. Harry also resized his firebolt, and stuck it in his left pocket. He ran to Dumbledore's office, knowing he wouldn't be there. After he passed the gargoyles, he ignored Fawks's trilling, knocked over the glass display containing the Gryffindor sword, not bothering to clean anything up. Harry then snatched the sword from the ground, tucked it into his belt, and adjusted his robes so it didn't reveal the weapon at his side.

Harry practically jumped back out of the two gargoyles, running towards the main doors, but ran into Draco. _Bugger, _thought Harry.

"I can only guess what you're going to do, it's in the Daily Prophet. And I know I won't be able to stop your thickheaded self, so is there anything I can do to help?" Draco asked.

Harry thought for a moment.

"Could you distract the Grand Hall for me? Oh, almost forgot, give this to Dumbledore for me," he handed Draco the note.

"I have some fireworks from the Weasley twins waiting in my trunk. I could also throw an invisible swamp in front of the main doors. Just don't tell them I like their products, I'll never live it down."

Harry smiled. "Thanks."

"Don't let Voldemort kill you," Draco said, grinning. "If the famous Potter isn't here to give hope to the world, we're all doomed."

Harry nodded, smirking slightly. "Tell Ron, Hermione, and the rest of them not to follow if they find out. Knock them out if you must, and thanks again."

"Give me five minutes, or wait until the fireworks start going off. See you, Potter."

Harry slipped out the main doors, and concealed himself behind a bush. Finally, He heard a large bunch of firecrackers going off in the Great Hall, each of them either popping or whistling. Harry jumped out of the brush, not bothering to pull the leaves from his hair, and took off on his firebolt as fast as he could. He looked back through the window, finding Dumbledore staring at him, the note open in his hand. Harry nodded to him, and continued speeding away, the air through his hair and leaves from the Forbidden Forest's tall, thick foliage swirling around him like a whirlwind.

Harry almost didn't know where he was going, but concentrating on finding where Voldemort was, he felt a slight pull from his stomach, going the direction east.

-~*~-

Again, really sorry, I thought the NEWTS were Harry's 6th year. My bad.


	32. Hogwarts Under Siege Part I

Basketball tryouts are killers. I don't think I'll be able to walk properly ever again.

-~*~-

Harry sped over a muggle village, and he noticed a few muggles squinting to get a good look at him. He didn't really care, most of them either already knew, or were going to know.

Harry felt his power steadily growing inside of him, as if his body could tell he needed the defense. Then again, maybe it did. He was finally reaching the annihilated village, and gasped, "Bloody Hell," as he saw the smoke billowing from houses, and elderly, middle-aged, children, and even babies lying on the ground, either moaning in agony or dead. A hand went up to his mouth in astonishment as he swept over it, having a not-so-pleasant view of death and destruction. The motion of his broom inclined as it steadily climbed the hill, making towards the stone white temple that looked ancient and mildly destroyed, and was most likely hidden from muggle view.

_The village that's behind you is going to look like the rest of the world if you don't win against Voldemort, _a tiny voice reminded Harry.

"Shut up," Harry told himself. He resized the broom again and returned it to his pocket, and bounded out the steps that were slowly dissolving away.

"Ah, it's Potter," Said a cold, high-pitched voice from the other side of the room. Voldemort hadn't even bothered to turn as he spoke; his focus was completely on the staff and the writings around it, but then he twisted around to meet. Harry. "You look more and more like your dead father every day. Soon, you'll have more in common than you know."

Harry sneered. "Don't you talk about my father, you disgusting, filthy—"

"Don't be rude now," Voldemort grinned. "You have much more to worry about, besides me."

Harry's heart quickened its pace at Voldemort's words, fearing he had been tricked again. "What do you mean?"

Suddenly, a loud 'pop!' sounded from behind Harry. Harry turned quickly; sincerely hoping it wasn't Dumbledore or anybody else, but instead found it was Peeves.

"Peeves? What're you doing here?" Harry asked curiously, temporarily forgetting the situation he had gotten himself into.

Peeves didn't look like himself; he had a grave, serious face, and his hands were rubbing each other, as if from nervousness. Voldemort, behind Harry, had his face contorted in sudden fury, but it wasn't directed towards Harry.

"Hogwarts is under siege," he said seriously, his ghostly face full of worry, "Dumbledore sent me."

"U-Under siege?"

"I sent my forces after Hogwarts, intending to get a hold of the staff without interruptions," Voldemort interrupted angrily.

Voldemort then turned his wand to Peeves, about ready to say a curse, but Peeves instantly vanished. Harry stared in wonder where Peeves was a moment before, feeling deserted.

Then Voldemort turned his wand to Harry, and before Harry had time to pull his wand out Voldemort flicked his wand making long thin ropes coil around Harry's body, barely giving his lungs room to expand and contract. Harry coughed, dropping his wand, and the coiling ropes wrapped themselves around Harry's mouth.

"Stay there and keep quiet," said Voldemort, turning to the staff again. "You will be my first experiment with the staff. I'd like to see your bloody mess decorate this temple."

Voldemort continued to study the writings, trying to work them out into English, leaving Harry struggling to get out of the bindings. Harry paused as he heard a small whisper.

"Shh, Potter, it's me. I'm going to get you out of these bindings, then I want you to kill Voldemort while his back is turned." Said Peeves, so quiet Harry barely heard him. Harry nodded.

He felt the ropes loosening around him, until finally they were off. Harry forced himself not to take a loud gulp of air, and slowly pulled his sword from his belt. Miraculously, Voldemort hadn't heard anything, but as Harry steadied the blade in front of him, ready to shove it into Voldemort, Voldemort turned, facing Harry in surprise.

"How did you—"

Voldemort didn't have time to finish as Harry's sword was pushed into Voldemort's chest, mere inches from his heart, and yanked it back out again. Dropping his wand, Voldemort sucked his breath in, and drew it out in a hiss, like a snake.

"Potter, you will regret the day you were born."

"I already do."

"I _will _return." Voldemort vanished with a crack, and Peeves made himself visible again.

"Peeves, go back and tell Dumbledore I'll be back in a little bit," said Harry.

"But—"

"Go!"

Peeves departed again with a nod of his head.

Harry walked up to the staff, tracing his fingers across the words, saying them loudly into the air.

_"A Force of Light must use this staff for good,_

_Forces of Dark may perish under its rule,_

_May a force of good receive this staff,_

_To end the Dark that resides this earth."_

Harry somehow thought there was more to it. He reached out to grab the staff, but it zapped his hand with something—Harry thought it was a little volt of electricity. (Like an electric fence.)

Harry snatched his wand from the ground, saying, "Accio Staff of Amun-Rah," but nothing happened. Sighing in provocation, Harry stopped to think for a moment. He thought it sounded slightly stupid, but he settled with,

"My name is Harry Potter, I serve under the side of light, and I wish to use this staff to destroy the dark."__

Astoundingly, it worked, and the staff floated towards Harry's palm. A burst of power surged though Harry. Harry believed that it was the staff that granted Harry the power.

New writings started to swirl on the slab, glowing a light blue color. Harry continued to read.

_"You are the Chosen One. Good luck, Child of Light, Harry Potter. May no evil cross you whilst you obtain this staff, or it will result in your death."_

Harry looked the staff over, took a deep breath, and tried to apparate, but was back where he started with a snap. He adjusted the staff horizontally (it was almost as tall as he,) and focused on getting to Hogwarts. Finally, he was at the castle, startling some aurors with his somewhat loud approach.

He looked around him, eyes widening. There were several people lying dead on the ground, about the same amount of people in the small wizard and muggle mixed village. Looking at the castle, Harry saw a great whole, large enough to fit several bodies through, and there were trolls trying to unsuccessfully ward the dementors away. Vampires grabbed several ministry officials by the neck, leaving them pale as milk on the ground a minute later. Harry couldn't find Dumbledore throughout the pandemonium.

-~*~-

Next chapter will be called "Hogwarts Under Siege Part 2."


	33. Hogwarts Under Siege Part II

Looking at Hogwarts, Harry was surprised to find it a deep red color, and it was flashing, almost as it a signal for help. Several house elves were popping in and out, offering water to the fighting humans, thestrals viciously attacked all on Voldemort's side, the dementors were performing the kiss on nearby aurors…Harry was surprised on how many aurors there were. Other outlandish creatures battled ruthlessly with each other carefully, almost like they were walking on eggshells. Harry figured it was because there was land mine like objects in the ground blowing up at somebody every now and then.

Harry, not really knowing what to do with the staff, and believing it to be in his way, secured it under a bush instead. Making sure it was hidden; Harry pulled his wand out and bounded towards the glowing building. 

No students were in the halls, and no screams echoed throughout the corridor. Quickly thinking, Harry ran towards the dungeons. As he opened the door, a few screams sounded, and a rather loud hiss from one of Harry's least favorite teachers, saying,

"Potter! Where have you been?"

"Er…around?" Harry answered him, the silhouette of his abnormally large, hooked nose barely showing in the darkness.

"Well, get down here and close the door before they find us!"

Harry shut the door behind him, the small crack of light diminishing, leaving them in complete darkness. Harry walked through the crowd, hands out, until his hands found long, bushy hair.

"Hermione?"

"Harry!"

Hermione sounded like she was struggling to get out of a tight spot, and hugged Harry tightly. Throughout the hubble of students, Harry wondered out loud why nobody had bothered turning on any lights. Hermione replied with a witty retort, declaring, "Of course we wouldn't have lights, Harry! That could draw attention!"

"I don't have time for this," Harry mumbled, squinting to try and find Snape. When it didn't work, Harry sighed dejectedly, slowly trying to get back out from the crowd of students to the door. "See you, Hermione. Stay safe, and don't go running out anywhere."

"No, Harry!"

Harry ignored her as he inaudibly slipped back out the door. Harry didn't know what to do, or where to go. To put it simply, he was stuck with feelings of tumult in a castle that was usually full of life and cheerful students, but now seemed to be a dull, gray castle classic muggle films.

He didn't know how to call for Dumbledore, didn't know how to use the staff, and overall, wanted to help, but wasn't sure how to. "Bugger," said Harry, talking to himself in an irritated tone. "I just keep running into these situations, don't I?" 

The dungeon doors snapped back open, revealing a sneering Snape, and returned to their closed position.

"Potter, I am losing my patience right now—"

"Where's Professor Dumbledore?"

"That is none of your—"

"Tell me." Harry said tonelessly, glaring at Snape. Snape glowered in return. "This is getting us nowhere, just tell me."

"He is searching for any help we are able to get."

"Any casualties?"

"I highly doubt that you need—"

"Snape," Harry interrupted again, his anger boiling. "Would you just give me the damn information I need?"

"32 students, 47 ministry officials." Snape said, scowling. "And you do not speak like that to me. Now that I've told you, get the bloody heck inside before somebody hears—"

"What could I do to help?" Harry asked, hoping Snape would give him the answer he wanted.

"You could get back in the dungeons now before you get your stubborn self killed!"

"I'm not going to sit back and relax while Hogwarts is being destroyed!"

"Which is exactly what Dumbledore is taking care of! You're just going to get in the way! Get back in the damn room, Potter, or I swear—"

All of a sudden, a large barbaric troll rounded the corner and grinned stupidly at them. Snape continued, whipping out his wand, "See? Look what you've done!"

Harry ignored this comment, grabbed his wand, and with a flick, the troll smacked against the wall with a sickening crack. Snape gaped at the crumpled body of a fifteen-foot tall troll; drool oozing out of its mouth. 

"Now will you tell me?" Harry asked, eyes nearly glowing.

"Potter, I was told to protect all lives of the students with my life, and that includes you. Please, just make things easier and get back inside, to be honest, there is nothing I know of that you can do."

 "But--!"

"Potter," sighed Snape, "Would you rather protect the students if an intruder found us, or protect an almost destroyed castle that we can fix later? We can fix a castle; not a human being."

Harry glared at him coldly.

"I want to protect anybody I can." He said.

"That's just the thing; you can't protect everybody!"

"I can try."

Snape growled, rubbing his temples irately. "I don't have time for this…" he sighed, "Where were you anyway? I take it you didn't want the whole school to hear, but I do insist you inform me."

"I went after Voldemort and the staff," said Harry, "I was sure Dumbledore would've told you."

"Did you receive the staff?"

"Yes…" Harry said, hoping Snape wasn't going to ask where it was hiding.

"Well, where is it?"

Harry cleared his throat, looking apprehensively at the wall.

"I…hid it in a bush…"

"You _what?"_

"Well, what was I supposed to do with it?"

"Oh, I don't know…maybe use it?"

"And how might I do that? I have no clue whatsoever on how to work the bloody thing—let alone hold it right."

"But in a bush?! What were you thinking? What if somebody else found it, perhaps?"

"They'd be electrocuted…I think. And Voldemort is injured, he wouldn't be here, would he?" Harry then looked out the window and said, "Wait a minute…they're retreating…And I've spoken too soon, I guess Voldemort is here."

Surely enough, a tall, slim man clutching his chest, was leading the men away from the school. He then looked back up to the window, where Harry and Snape stood, stunned, with an insidious smirk on his face. He took out his wand, and scrawled in bold, red letters, _'Another time, Potter.' And departed into the forest._

Snape lifted his left sleeve, and pressed onto the phoenix mark, making theirs and the rest of the Order's phoenix marks to burn hotly, almost painfully. Harry remembered this amount of heat poured into the mark meant that all members were to come to the needed spot immediately. 

-~*~-

Another lovely chapter finished. The seizure of Hogwarts is completed. :)


	34. Rest in Heavenly Peace

Dumbledore stood before everybody, looking grave, with no twinkle in his eye, nor etch of happiness on his face. In fact, he was crying in front of the grand hall full of students with their heads bowed.

"Many have died today…" Dumbledore looked around the students. Hermione broke down in sobs. "Their names should be heard and respected."

McGonagall stepped up with a large roll of parchment in her hands, slightly pale.

"Rest in peace—"

The entire great hall was silent, not a peep was made from anybody, except for the continuous and unrelenting weeping. Many of the girls at the Gryffindor table were crying a lake of tears, some of the men as well. A boy in fifth year kept wailing, repeating "My baby sister!"

Harry bowed his head in silence.

"Ignamorous Mike,

Charity Williams,

Victoria Cleft,

Clayton Britters…"

The list went on, and Harry could recognize anybody off of the list.

"There will be another room added to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore, as soon as the death toll was finished. "It will be a memorial of those lost to Hogwarts."

Harry blinked feeling his throat burn.

"Voldemort will not bring us down. We will continue to stand strong over the deaths. We will not surrender to his evil. He is just a lunatic in the way of our path to freedom, and he must be destroyed! If you ever meet Voldemort face to face, remember, he is no longer a living human being. He is a monster who no longer produces feelings. You see him; think of all the people he has slaughtered. Voldemort may have won this battle, but he has not won the war!"

It was this speech that brought the crying to sniffles, and the sobbing to tears streaming silently. It seemed to produce hope.

_He will not win._

_Fin._

-~*~-

Sorry it's short. I ran out of things to say.

This seems September 11th-ish to me. Anyways, that's the last chapter. Yes, I'm ending it there, sorry folks. BUT—if you want to check out my not-so-crazy fiction of Harry's 6th year, then do so. I already posted it. I guess this one will be for people who like really…*cough* unique fics, and the other one I'm trying to make sound more realistic.

I wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukah, and A very kool Kwanzaa! (In other words, happy holidays, whatever your holiday may be.)


End file.
